The Galleon of Gold
by team-senshi
Summary: All that is on Lina's mind is gold. When long-time conpanion and rival Naga the Serpent mysteriously runs into Lina with a map to the legendary Galleon of Gold, Lina tricks her way into joining Naga in her journey. R&R! This is a story you won't forget!
1. One Crazy Day

Chapter 1: One crazy day  
  
It was a cloudy evening in the village of Rikido. The streets were practically empty because there was a possibility of a heavy downpour. The only people outside where the homeless, patrolling guards, and a few thieves. There was an eerie silence that was shattered by a huge, booming explosion. The sound was heard throughout the entire village. Many people rushed out of their homes to see what was going on. The people around the town's "All-You-Can-Eat" restaurant knew all to well what happened.   
They all stared wide-eyed at the smoldering wreckage of the once standing eatery as a menacing figure emerged from the smoke. Its eyes blazing red like its hair. Mouth covered with grease and sauce that could easily have been mistaken for blood if this happened at some other place. They were all filled with terror as the creature turned around and began to speak.  
"That's what you get for trying to throw out Lina Inverse when she's starving!" it yelled. From the smoke another figure emerged: a tall man with long, blond hair. "Hey Lina," he said, " you didn't have to be so rough." Lina turned to the tall man and gave him an angry look. " I was still eating," she said, " and they had the nerve to pull that 'I'm sorry ma'am, but it's past closing time. You'll have to come back tomorrow' line on me."   
"You've been in there since they opened"  
"I didn't hear you complaining, Gourry. In fact, all I could hear from you was 'Munch, Munch, BURP!!'"  
They both exchanged angry looks. In the distance there was a faint sound of clanking metal that steadily rose. Lina and Gourry turned in the direction of the sound and jumped in fright. The entire village guard was rushing in their direction. Within mere seconds they were completely surrounded by armored guards. Leading the group was a middle-aged man in thick black armor.   
"You criminals are under arrest for destruction of property and disturbing the peace," said the man in black armor. Lina looked at the little group of men and laughed. "Oh man," said Lina, laughing hysterically. "I thought there would be more people with a town this big." "We may small in number, but we make that up in strength," said the man in black armor. "If you don't surrender now we will have to use force."  
That made Lina laugh even more. "You guys, Ha Ha, you guys are hilarious," laughed Lina. "You guys must have a lot of guts to be able to say that to me, Lina Inverse, with such calmness." At the sound of her name, all the guards, except for the one in the black armor turned tail and ran. "Gee," said Gourry, "I guess your name scares authority figures as much as dragons, and bandits."   
Lina gave Gourry a hard punch on the head. "You're still under arrest," said the man in the black armor. "Does that include me?" asked Gourry. "Because I didn't blow up the place, I just watched."   
"How am I supposed to know that?" said the man in black armor. "Even if you didn't blow up the place, you're still going to under arrest for disturbing the peace."  
"Alright, I've had enough of this," said Lina as she gets ready to cast a spell. "Source of all power, crimson fire burning bright, let thy power gather within my hands…" Lina's hands began to glow a bright red as she brought them together. When she slowly pulled them apart there was a small red sphere in the center where the two hands met and the further she pulled her hands the larger it grew. Gourry looked at the glowing ball of fire and was immediately struck with fear. "…FIRE BALL"  
Lina quickly heaved the giant ball of fire at the black armored guard who only stood there. Gourry, on the other hand, shrieked in terror and buried himself under the rubble of the building. The fireball moved at incredible speed towards the guard, but he just stood there. What an idiot, thought Lina, he's about to become toast and he doesn't even move and inch. The fireball was now two feet away from him and moving fast, and it was then that the guard made his move.   
With even more incredible speed than the fireball, the guard lifted his left hand and brought it crashing down of the ball of flames. When they hit, the ball disappeared. Lina's look of smugness soon turn to surprise, then to anger. "How the heck did you do that!?" she shouted. "That was one of the best fireballs I've ever thrown. Who are you anyway?" The guard looked at her and begun to smile.   
"Well, if you must know I'll tell you," said the guard. "I am Sir Hallorann, one of the Dynasty Knights of the Inner World."   
  
Lina's face was white as snow. "S…Sir H…Hallorann?" said Lina with intense fear in her voice. "Is he famous or something?" asked Gourry from underneath the rubble. Lina was shocked. "Are you serious!?!" she yelled. "This guy is Sir Hallorann, the greatest warrior of all time. Everybody has to know who he is."  
"Well I've never heard of him," said Gourry.  
"I'm not even going to waste my time trying to cram even the basic of knowledge in a head as thick as yours," said Lina.  
  
Five minutes later, they were in a jail cell. Rain was pouring outside. Gourry was sitting quietly in the corner while Lina yelled and screamed to be let out. "Let me out of here!!" she yelled. "I was framed! It was another sorceress! I'm innocent!" "It's a waste of time even trying to do that, Lina," said Gourry. "We've been in prison before and yelling never got us out."   
"Hey, it doesn't hurt to try."  
Just then, the silence was broken by a deafening laughter. A laughter that Lina knew all too well.   
"Oooooh, ho, ho, hoo!!"  
A figure walked around the corner. A figure with a huge chest, long, black hair, and wearing a very revealing bathing suit. "Naga?" said Lina with a dumbfounded look on her face. "What are you doing here?" Naga grinned. "Well, if it isn't Lina Inverse," said Naga. "Long time no s…HEY!!" Naga had been shoved by a prison guard. "This isn't a time for reunions," said the guard as he shoved Naga into the next cell and locked the door.   
Lina looked at Naga and begun to laugh. "What's the matter Naga?" Lina asked mockingly, "Where you busted for showing too much skin?" Lina laughed a little harder at what she said. Naga narrowed her eyes at Lina. "Ha, ha, ha, very funny Lina," said Naga. "And what are you in here for. Where you and your 'boyfriend' busted for disturbing the peace in full view a dozen people? If you know what I mean." Lina's laughter stopped and was replaced by a low growl.  
"Wow, your good," said Gourry. "That's exactly why we're in here." Lina looked at Gourry with eyes filled with anger and embarrassment. Naga, however, smiled and laughed. "Oooooh, ho, ho hoo!! You've got more guts than I thought Lina. I thought you'd be embarrassed to do something like that."  
"Idiot," murmured Lina under her breath. "So, Naga," said Gourry, "what are you doing here?" "It was the strangest thing," said Naga. "I was just standing in an alleyway, talking to a man around the age of thirty-two, when all of a sudden a guard in black armor told me I was under arrest for prostitution." Lina began to laugh again.   
"Who was that man you were talking to?" asked Gourry.  
"Some cheap mercenary," replied Naga.   
"Why would you need a mercenary?" asked Gourry.  
"I need someone to assist me while I look for the Galleon of Gold," replied Naga.  
Lina didn't hear much over her laughter, but one world came out as clear as a clean window: Gold. "What's this about gold?" asked Lina in an interested tone. Naga realized that she had just said too much. "Gold?" asked Naga nervously, "I didn't say anything about gold." "Yes you did," said Lina, "you said you were looking for a 'Galleon of Gold' and that you needed people to assist you."   
"I have no idea what you're talking about."  
Lina gave Naga a look that said C'mon, you can't hide anything from me. "Alright, Lina," said Naga, "I guess it's useless trying to keep this hidden. There's a legend that talks about a mysterious ship that sails the seas, full of gold. They say that a bloodthirsty pirate who wanted all the gold in the world commanded the ship. For decades he'd board ships and take their treasure until the day he boarded the wrong ship…" 


	2. DeepSea Trouble

Chapter 2: Deep-Sea trouble  
  
It was a beautiful day in the middle of the Demon Sea. Captain Reimer was on the deck of his massive ship having a brisk walk, the sun beating down on his face. He felt like having a drink. His first mate, Christopher, was lecturing a fellow shipmate about how to properly swab the deck. Christopher was a rather fat man with rather short and flabby arms. Every time he moved them they'd jiggle uncontrollably. There had been a few jokes about his arms that past from shipmate to shipmate. Some of them were even quite funny. But, despite the fact that the crew teased him a bit, they all had great respect for him.   
Reimer reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of cheap, but very effective, whiskey. He pulled out the cork, put the bottle to his lips, tilted it back, and let the sweet liquor spill into his mouth and go down his throat. It hit his stomach with a boom that felt so good at this time of day. He finished two big gulps in no time. In the middle of his third gulp, a crew member in the crow's nest shouted, "Ship Ahoy!!" Reimer spat out the whiskey and scanned the water for the ship. It's not wise to get drunk before a plundering, thought Reimer as he turned around to see if the ship was over there, and it was. The ship was definitely the most beautiful ship they had come across. The hull was painted a light shade of blue. It had a figurehead in the shape of a beautiful lady. And the sails looked as if they were made out of silk. But that would be silly, thought Reimer, silk wouldn't last long in these windy seas.   
"It looks like it will be an easy one," said Christopher as he approached Reimer. "Don't you think so, too captain." "Yes it does," replied Reimer. And it did look easy. It was a pretty good sized ship with one thing missing: a crew. No one was in the crow's nest, no one was at the wheel, and no one was swabbing the deck. Not a single person, excluding the figurehead, was visible.   
"Oi Cap'n!" said a crewmember, "where's the friggin' crew?"  
"Probably went below," said Reimer.  
"We'd best be careful, Cap'n," said the crewmember. "No one sane would leave a beautiful ship like this unguarded in these waters."   
"Thank you, Roger," said Reimer, "I'll keep that in mind."  
The closer they got to the ship, Reimer's feeling of confusion soon changed into fear. While examining the exterior of the ship, he became increasingly fascinated with the figurehead. It looked so real that he thought that if he cut it blood would gush out. He examined the face. It looked smooth and beautiful. Her hair was colored a light blue, just like her dress. Her eyes shined like sapphire gems with a diamond in the middle. I'll have someone remove those before we leave, thought Reimer. And just as soon as he thought that, the eyes shifted position and were pointed toward him.   
A bolt of terror ran up and down his spine. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up and his arms were covered with goose bumps. His eyes were growing larger as if the figurehead had put him under a trance. The figurehead's left arm began to move as if to grab him. Reimer, petrified with fear, could only watch as its hand came closer and closer. Christopher put a hand on Reimer's shoulder.   
"Are you okay, Sir?" asked Christopher.   
Reimer's face turned white.  
Christopher shook Reimer just a bit. Reimer jumped as if he had been spooked. "Sir," said Christopher, "are you alright?" Reimer was breathing heavily. He looked at Christopher then glanced back at the figurehead. It was back in its position. "Yeah," said Reimer, "yeah, I'm fine." It was all in my head, he thought. Yeah, it was all in my head. Reimer let out a deep sigh and gave the order to board.   
  
When he first stepped on the ship, there was a feeling of uneasiness. It was as if someone wanted them to find this ship. "Hey Cap'n!" yelled Roger, "those are some nice sails. Want me to take 'em down?"   
"Go ahead."  
  
  
Reimer waited patiently as Roger cut the ropes that held the sails to the mast. When the last rope was cut, Reimer noticed something in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw the figurehead, only it wasn't a figurehead anymore. It was an actual woman. Its eye's glowing a bright white. Its hair moving in the breeze. Reimer blinked and she was gone.   
The sail fell on top of Reimer. Covering him in a white blanket that was made of…silk? Reimer grabbed the sail and examined it. It was made of silk. But how could silk be strong enough to withstand the force of strong ocean winds, thought Reimer. He pulled out his sword and slashed at the sail. It wasn't ripping. Whatever it was, it wasn't silk. But it IS silk, thought Reimer.  
"Everything Okay Cap'n?" shouted Roger.  
Reimer felt a bit confused. How could silk be that strong? What kind of ship is this, anyway?  
"Cap'n?" shouted Roger.  
"Everything's alright," replied Reimer. But it's silk…  
  
Inside the ship, things were not so disturbing. The walls were made of pine, really expensive looking pine that filled the hallways with the smell of (you guessed it) pine trees. "WE HIT THE JACKPOT!!" shouted one of the crewmembers. Reimer went to see what all the fuss was about. He walked to the man who shouted. "What's all the fuss about, Dick?" asked Reimer. "We've hit the mother load Cap'n," replied Dick. "Look."   
Dick pointed into the room he just opened and giggled. Reimer looked and was amazed at what he saw. The room was full of gold, gemstones, and even more gold. For a few moments, Reimer was speechless. Dick's giggle soon turned into a laugh. Reimer turned to the crew gave the orders to take the gold and gems back to the ship. "Now this is the one of the biggest…" said Reimer before being interrupted by another one of Dick's shouts. "Cap'n! This room is filled with even more gold!"   
Reimer rushed towards the room Dick was at. Dick was right. There was more gold here than in the other room. "Check the other rooms, Dick and see if they have gold in them, too," said Reimer.   
"Aye Cap'n!"  
  
This was unbelievable, all the rooms they opened were full of gold in every shape and size: coins, crowns, necklaces, chains, scepters, swords, you name it. There was so much gold that Reimer thought the crew would be loading it onto the ship until sunrise the next morning. But where was the crew? They searched all over the ship, they found more gold then they could imagine, but no crew.   
Reimer walked back up to the weather deck and watched as his men carry the gold to ship. "Uhh…captain," said a voice from behind. Reimer knew the voice all too well. It was Jason, the ship's cabin boy, who always ran up to him and shouted in a cheery voice, "What can I do to help, Sir?" But his voice wasn't cheery this time.   
Reimer turned around and saw something he wasn't expecting. Jason looked like an old man who had just ran a thousand miles without rest. And that was very odd because he was only nineteen. "Sweet Jesus!" said Reimer, "what the hell happened to you, Jason." Jason looked at Reimer with eyes that said I saw something, something horribly wrong. "I…I think I found out where the crew is," said Jason with a voice that matched his haggard face. "Well, where are they then?" asked Reimer.  
"In the gold."  
"In the gold?"  
"I know it sounds strange, but they're in the gold. They're…they're hiding, sir."  
"What the hell are you talking about, Jason? That's impossible."  
But Jason didn't think so. He looked at Reimer like it would be his last time seeing his face. During his time as cabin boy, he has displayed signs that he had psychic abilities: he would predict when a storm would hit and be right, he'd answer questions before people got the chance to actually say it. Reimer had just dismissed it as just dumb luck, but he was starting to take it back.   
"I think we should leave all our gold on this ship and sail away as fast as we can," said Jason, his voice hoarse and shaky. "Don't be silly, Jason," said Reimer, "This is the biggest load of gold we've ever taken. With all this gold, everyone will get a pay raise. The entire crew has been looking forward to that and I can't just take it away from them now."  
Reimer turned away and started to walk towards his ship when Jason grabbed his left wrist and squeezed it with strength beyond that of humans. Reimer winced in pain and fell to his knees. Jason's eyes were glowing crimson red. His face, no longer that of an old man, was now the face of a maniac. "I don't think you heard me, captain," said Jason in a menacing voice. "Dump your Gold and leave!" Aside from squeezing his wrist, Jason was squeezing something very tightly in his left hand. There was a sudden click sound.  
"Let go of the captain, boy." It was Christopher, and he was pointing a pistol at Jason's head. Christopher took a few steps forward. The pistol was now close enough to Jason that he could smell the gun powder. "I said, 'let him go.' Unless you want your brains splattered all over the place. Now, let him g…"   
Jason let go of Reimer's wrist and motioned to hit the pistol out of Christopher's hands, but was too slow. Christopher pulled the trigger and sent a bullet right between Jason's eyes. The crew members that were carrying gold turned in the direction of the shot. Jason's head flung backward and he landed on his back. His left hand opened and a gold coin fell on the floor. "What in the bloody hell was that all about, sir?" asked Christopher. Reimer stood up, not taking his eyes off Jason's corpse. "He wanted me to move all our gold onto this ship," replied Reimer.  
"That's crazy," said Christopher.  
"I know." Reimer let out a sigh. "I know."  
Reimer and Christopher headed back to the ship when a noise from behind froze them in their tracks. It was a snarling sound. A sound an animal would make before and attack. They both turned around and saw Jason on all fours. Eyes gone white, mouth open, showing two rows of sharp, jagged teeth, hands that resembled claws, and blood, green blood, gushing from his bullet wound. Reimer and Christopher were starring into his…its eyes, terrified at what it was thinking behind them. Moments later, they heard snarling sound around them. All the crewmembers that were handling gold have begun to morph into monsters, just like Jason.  
He must have been right, thought Reimer, the crew of the ship must have been ghosts. They must have been hiding in he gold, waiting for someone to take it so they could have a physical body to inhabit. "It's been a pleasure working for you, captain," said Christopher with a terrified voice. "Christopher, listen to me carefully," whispered Reimer, "run…NOW!" Christopher bolted for the door that led deeper into the ship. Reimer soon caught up. Jason was quickly on their tail. The others joined, too.   
  
For a somewhat fat man, Christopher could run. Both of them ran through hallways, through doors, and into compartments, trying their hardest to lose them. But it was useless. They had already gotten their sent, and could now track them anywhere on board. They were moving as fast as they could. They turned left, they turned right, they knocked down furniture in hopes of slowing them down. They were starting to tire out when they saw what looked like their only chance for survival: a watertight door that led to the storage area. They Reimer pulled the latch to open the door and let Christopher in, but he wouldn't go in.  
"Sir," he said, "you go on ahead. I'll just slow you down." Christopher leaned against the wall and pulled a stick of dynamite from his jacket. "What are you doing!?" shouted Reimer, tears were coming out of his eyes. He had traveled Christopher for over ten years and he never imagined him doing something like this. "I'm improving your chance of survival, sir," replied Christopher. "Now, go on before I light it." Reimer nodded and went inside, locking the door and putting his sword in between the dogs to keep them from moving. He stared at the door and started to cry. He'd never see his good friend again.  
  
Christopher reached into his pocket and pulled out a match. At least I'll go out with a bang, thought Christopher. He let out a laugh and struck the match against the wall and lit the fuse. In the distance, he heard the sound of rabid beasts getting closer and closer. He was petrified with fear. This was the end for him, no way out, he was going to die and he was sure of it. The fact that he was going to die made him shake. As the sound became even louder, the match burned his finger. "Ow! Son of a b…" Holy Shit! The fuse is almost gone! If it blows here the door would be gone and the captain would be doomed.  
Christopher ran away from the door as fast as he could. Nine paces later, Jason's dead monster body turned the corner and fixed his gaze on Christopher. The sight of Jason made his legs go numb. Jason ran at Christopher like a wolf. Christopher was so scared that he collapsed. The stick of dynamite fell out of his hand and rolled on the floor. More former pirates turned the corner and dashed towards Christopher. Jason leapt on top of Christopher's body and started slashing at him. Christopher's face was covered in his blood. Jason sunk his teeth into Christopher's neck. Blood sprayed everywhere.   
Christopher moved what was left of his eye in the direction the stick of dynamite was in. Your time is up you ugly bastard, he though. But when he saw the stick he was more afraid than he'd ever been in his life. The dynamite was soaked in blood, fuse and all. Reimer's going to die, was hammered into his mind and he began to cry, tears were replaced with blood. He let out one final sob as Jason bit into his skull, killing him. Jason let out one loud howl and narrowed his eyes on the door.  
  
The howl made Reimer feel like something went wrong. There was supposed to be an explosion, he thought. Reimer knew that Christopher was now dead. He must find a way to get out. Reimer turned around and saw someone who he knew he'd run into eventually. It was the lady who was on the front of the boat disguised as a figurehead. He was filled with anger. "What are you?" shouted Reimer. The figurehead lady began to laugh. "I'm shocked that you don't know who I am," she said. "All the best tales you tell your crew have me in them, with a full description: flowing blue hair, milky white skin, trim figure, and eyes that can pierce the soul and fill it with pure terror.   
Reimer's mouth was wide open. He was more frightened than he had been just minutes ago. For years, he told tales as if that was all they were, tales. But here he was, standing in front of the Devil of the Sea, the Satan of the oceans: Deep-Sea Dolphin. "But why my crew?" asked Reimer, "Take me. I'm the one who gave them the order to board. I'm the one who should take the punishment." Dolphin looked at him and smiled. "But you are being punished," she said, "and punished severely. Because you gave the order and doomed your whole crew, you take the blame. You are responsible for the loss of fifty human beings. Men with families, men who have…had lives. And that will be stuck on your conscience until the day you die, and you will welcome it."   
Reimer couldn't believe what he was hearing. He would be suffering a fate far worse than anything that he could possibly imagine. "But you will not die," said Deep-Sea. "You will be given eternal life and be forced to sail the seas. Forever feeling the pain you've caused yourself. But you will not be alone on your punishment. You will be accompanied by gold; gold coins, gold bars, gold crowns, gold swords, gold staffs, even gold books. The very gold that you sent your crew to take when you damned their soul. And beside the gold, you will have your old crew back. A mix of dead and undead. And if you even think about returning to shore, your load will be doubled. Making your ship move slower and easier to be attacked by other pirates. Then your ship will be warped to another part of the sea, far from any land. And if, or should I say when you get attacked by other pirates, each one that steps on board will be attacked and killed by a member of your crew. And you will be responsible for their deaths as well." Dolphin let out a high pitched laugh that nearly burst Reimer's eardrums. He closed his eyes and covered his ears.   
  
"AAHHHH!!!!" screamed Reimer as he sprang up from his bed. He was covered in sweat and breathing in deeply. Oh God, he thought. It was all just a dream. Slowly, his door began to open. "Captain?" It was Christopher's voice. The sound of it gave Reimer a bit of relief.   
"Are you okay, captain?" asked Christopher.   
"Yeah…" replied Reimer, "yeah, I'm fine."   
"Good…because there's a ship approaching."   
  
  
Reimer's door swung open with great speed. He quickly turned his head towards it and became petrified with fear. Standing in the doorway was a very dead looking Christopher with claw marks all over him and a huge bite mark on his throat. Reimer's life was never the same again. 


	3. Family Reunion

Chapter three: Family Reunion  
  
"Great story, Naga," said Lina, "but how could there be a pistol and a stick of dynamite in it if the story took place in the Inner World? Those things were invented in the Outer World, which was only recently able to be traveled into." "Hey," said Naga, "I'm was just saying what I heard." Lina didn't want to spend anymore time listening to Naga's story. Yawning, Lina said, "So, where did you hear that fairy tale?" Naga was insulted. She's spent a good deal of her free time looking up information on how to find the Galleon of Gold, and Lina has got the nerve to call it a 'fairy tale.' "For your information, Lina," said Naga in an angry tone, "the Galleon of Gold is real." Naga reached into her bikini top and pulled out a very old bottle with a piece of paper in it and a cork plugging up the top. "And here's the proof."  
Naga handed the bottle over to Lina through the bars. Lina grabbed it, held it in her hand, and asked, "What is this piece of junk?" "That piece of junk is the proof that the Galleon of Gold is real, Lina Inverse," said Naga.   
"Where'd you get it?"  
"I found it on a beach a few months ago."  
"Riiight…"   
Lina uncorked the bottle, stuck her finger inside and tried pulling the paper out, but her finger couldn't reach it. She tried harder to reach, but it was all in vain. Lina pulled her finger out and smashed the bottle against the bars of her cell. "Hey!" shouted Naga, "do you have any idea how valuable that bottle is?" "Just shut up," said Lina, picking up the paper. She dusted some broken shards of glass off of it and began to read:  
  
To whoever finds this letter,  
It has been five hundred years since I have been cursed to ride the seas. Several times I've tried sailing towards land and each time without any luck. The amount of gold that is in my holds is fifteen times greater than it was when I started. Pirates have attacked me several times, even when I warn them not to. My crew of bloodthirsty demons and zombies grow restless. They welcome pirates. I've often taken the wheel and moved deeper into the oceans where pirate numbers are few, but we still get attacked. And they still die. I can't take it any longer. I've wanted to jump into the sea and breath in the waters, but I can't. It's like there's some force that prevents me from leaving. I have all but given up hope. I have noticed a small island a few days ago that I remember. It is the uninhabited island of Ark, fifty miles to the east of the island Orphen. I have anchored the ship just off the coast of that island. I will be waiting here. Please send some one with great power to save me from this prison. I am begging you. In return I shall let you have as much gold as you want. I have no desire to keep it. But beware my crew. They are very violent and very quick, as well as cunning. They do however have a constant craving for raw, bloody meat. I hope that is of some use. Please hurry.  
  
Sincerely   
Captain James Reimer  
  
"This is a bunch of bologna," said Lina as she burnt the paper with a weak fire spell. Naga became furious. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" shouted Naga. "That letter alone was worth fifty thousand gold pieces!" Lina paid no notice to Naga. Instead, she just leaned against the wall and began to hum a tune. This made Naga even madder. Suddenly there were voices coming from down the hall; a man's voice and a woman's voice. They were coming closer.   
"Are you sure you want to do this," said the man  
"Yes I do," said the woman. "She's not really a bad person."  
"Well, if you say so," said the man.  
Lina thought the woman's voice was familiar, but couldn't remember whom it belonged to. She just stared in the direction the voices were coming from. Gourry did the same. Naga just sat there staring at Lina with eye's full of rage. Then, stepping from the corner, was the guard that led Naga to her cell accompanied by…  
"Amelia!?" shouted Lina.  
Lina was surprised, but relieved. She must be here to bail us out, thought Lina. Then she suddenly realized something. Oh god. She'll see Naga. "Hey, Amelia," said Gourry, "what are you doing out here in Rikido?" "Well," said Amelia in a cheery voice, "I was here on a business trip, when I heard that you were arrested. So, I came here to bail you…" Amelia's cheeriness was turned to extreme surprise. In the cell next to Lina and Gourry was her older sister…  
"Gracia!?" said Amelia.  
Naga's stone gaze on Lina was shattered by a voice from the past that she tried to get away from. She turned white. Very slowly, she turned her head. "H…hey sis," said Naga is a shaky voice. Amelia began to cry. She hasn't seen her sister since she was around five years old. "Gracia!" shouted Amelia as she ran to her cell. "Where have you been all this time? Father and I were so worried. Why did you leave us? Why, Gracia? Why?" Tears were rolling down Amelia's cheeks.   
This is just great, thought Lina, Naga made me promise not to tell Amelia about her and now she knows. I never thought she'd find her in a place like this. Amelia was crying up a storm. Lina, Gourry, and the Guard just stared. "I'm sorry I put you through a lot of pain, Amelia," said Naga as she stood up and put her hand on Amelia's right shoulder through the bars. Amelia put her hand on Naga's and cried more. "I just couldn't stay after what I did," said Naga with a few tears in her eyes. "I was too late. I couldn't save her." Then, Naga started to cry very hard like her little sister on the other side of the bars. They were finally together again. 


	4. Naga's Story

Chapter Four: Naga's story  
  
It was a beautiful day when it all began. Prince Philionel, Phil to his friends, from the kingdom of Seyruun was traveling the countryside on his way home after visiting Atlas City on official business. He felt really good that morning. He had one of the greatest breakfasts he's had in months, the sky was clear and there was a cool breeze blowing in his face and it felt like it was being caressed by a soft and loving hand. He was being accompanied by two of his most trusted guards: James Cartel and Kyle Borges. Suddenly he let out a huge booming laugh that scared the guards off their horses. "Uh..sir," said James, "are you feeling alright?" "Of course I'm feeling alright, James," answered the young prince. "That's why I'm laughing. In fact, I want both of you to laugh as well."  
James and Kyle looked at each other with confused expressions on their faces. "Come on, men!" shouted Phil, "start laughing." Both guards cleared their thoughts and forced out a few laughs. "Not like that," said the Prince. "Like this." Phil let out one very loud laugh that scared all the birds out of a nearby tree. James and Kyle felt a bit uncomfortable but the did it anyway. After all, Phil was a great prince and has never treated them bad.  
  
A little ways down the road the prince and his guards were on, going the opposite direction was a young woman named Rose. She was wearing an everyday dress and carrying a basket full of "goodies." She was a traveling thief that was shunned from her hometown for practicing black magic. What a wonderful day, she thought, this is the perfect kind of day to rob an unsuspecting traveler. Rose let out a very loud laugh   
"Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho…"   
After she laughed she realized that she hadn't eaten breakfast, and it was almost time for lunch. She walked up to a nearby tree; one of many on the road. Rose sat under the shade of the tree, leaned against the trunk, and placed her basket next to her. She opened the lid and looked for something to eat. "Let's see what we got," said Rose as she began examining the content of her basket. "Magic Talisman, spell book, rat's blood, lark's vomit, eye of newt, dagger, panties…AH!" Rose reached inside the basket and pulled out a BLT sandwich, a bottle of her homemade moonshine, and a piece of cake. What they were doing with those other items is a complete mystery.  
Rose put her bottle of moonshine on the ground along with the cake, and started to munch on her sandwich. Once finished with her sandwich she reached for her cake, but halted when a loud sound came from above; the sound of leaves rustling as if something was moving through them. Suddenly, three people jumped out of the tree and surrounded her: one of her right, one on her left, and one in front of her.   
"Little girls shouldn't be wondering the roads alone," said the one in front of her. "Especially if Patrick the thief and his gang wonder the streets as well." The one in front of her, supposedly Patrick, let out a menacing laugh that sounded too high pitched for a human. "Billy, Steven," said Patrick, "hold her down." Patrick snapped his fingers and the two men on her sides pushed her tight against the tree. "Now listen carefully, missy," said Patrick, "you and I are gonna get to know each other very well, then you're gonna get to know Steven, and then Billy…" Patrick spotted the bottle of moonshine on the ground. "But first I think I'll have a drink."  
A grin suddenly appeared on Rose's face. But she quickly got rid of it so he wouldn't get suspicious. Patrick bent over, picked up the bottle and looked at it. "Is this stuff any good?" asked Patrick, still looking at the bottle. "It's probably some of the strongest moonshine in the world," said Rose while trying hard to hide her grin. Patrick pulled the cork out with his teeth, spat it out on the ground, and downed about a third of it if a few gulps. Patrick quickly removed the bottle and let out a painful groan. "Ughhhh….MAN THAT'S SOME GOOD STUFF!!"   
Patrick tossed the bottle to the guy on Rose's right. "Try this stuff Bill," said Patrick strenuously. Bill looked at it and took a small gulp. "ACK!!" Billy grabbed his throat and passed the bottle to Steven. "Here," gasped Billy, "t…try it." Steven grabbed the bottle and sipped it. After he sipped it coughed and wheezed. Then, almost immediately, Patrick, Billy, and Steven passed out.   
Rose picked up her bottle of moonshine, quickly got to her feet, and drank the rest of the liquor. Hah, she thought, that's what they deserve for trying to take advantage of me. Luckily for me they drank some of my booze. I told them the stuff was strong. But I guess I should've told them that the stuff was strong enough to knock out a bull for a week and a half. I'm glad that I've been blessed with the ability to drink like a whale and not get drunk. Rose put her cake back in her basket, picked it up and walked away. She got a good fifteen steps before something made her freeze in her tracks.  
From behind, there was a long moan. "Ohhh…my head." She turned around and saw that Patrick was awake. Impossible, thought Rose. "H…how could you be awake!?" shouted Rose. "The amount of moonshine you drank would have knocked any human out for a month." Patrick got up to his feet. "That would be true," said Patrick in a monstrous tone, "if I were human."   
Patrick's body was suddenly engulfed in a brownish-red flame. His eyes became blood red, his skin became a dark green, his hands became claws, and his teeth grew long and sharp like knifes. "It's too bad you have to die this way," said Patrick, the flames around his body now gone. He began to walk slowly towards Rose. Rose was couldn't move, she was too scared. Patrick was two paces away when he stopped.   
"Any last words?" he asked.  
"Y..yeah," said Rose. She pointed behind Patrick. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!?!"  
Patrick turned around expecting to see something strange, but nothing was there except his drunken henchmen. He turned back and saw that Rose has run off. She tricked me, thought Patrick.  
  
Rose was a good ways down the road. Gotta run faster, she though. As she began to pick up the pace a black hole appeared out of nowhere in front of her. She knew what was going to happen. Out of the hole came Patrick with an angry look on his face. "You shouldn't have done that," he said, "now I will make your death slow and painful." He was about to slash at her when suddenly, a loud booming noise filled the air. It was laughter. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH," screamed Patrick as he put his hands on his head. The moonshine may have not knocked him out, but it gave him the worst hangover you can imagine.   
The laughter grew louder. "MY HEAD!!" shouted Patrick. Rose looked down the path and saw three men walking in her direction leading some horses, and a pony with some supplies strapped to it.  
  
Phil was having a great time. He sure loved laughing. "Hey guys," he said, "I'm thinking about growing a mustache. What do you guys think?" "I think you should go for it," said Kyle.   
"Your highness, look!" said James, pointing his finger down the path.  
Phil looked and saw a monster and a woman. "Oh my," said Phil, "that woman needs our help." Prince Phil dashed towards the monster at great speed. When he reached the monster he picked it up and shouted, "Justice Revenge throw," and threw Patrick over the horizon. Rose was speechless. Wow, thought Rose. "Are you okay miss?" asked Phil. Rose gave Prince Phil a great big hug.   
"Thank you for saving me from that horrible monster, Mr…?"  
"Philionel. Prince Philionel of Seyruun."  
"P-Prince?"  
"Yes, and I'm next in line for the throne. But I don't mean to brag. Hahahahaha!!!"   
Rose's began to smile a really big smile. Jackpot, thought Rose, this guy is loaded. If I just stick to him like glue I'll be rich in no time. Unable to control her delight, Rose let out a loud laugh. Kyle and James thought she was a total nutcase. "That's the spirit," said Phil. "Let out a loud laugh to show how happy you are." "Don't mind if I do," she replied, and let out another laugh. Phil looked at Rose, smiled, and then joined her in laughing. James and Kyle just stood in the back, both confused at what was going. "Looks like a match made in heaven," said James to Kyle.   
"You said it."   
I'm gonna be rich, I'm gonna be rich, I'm gonna be rich was all that Rose could think of for the next few days. Prince Phil allowed her to travel with him and his guards to Seyruun. I'm gonna get a big house, get a bunch of servants, and get the finest liquor supply money can get. And she was right. She did get a big house, a bunch of servants, and access to the finest liquor imaginable, but not as just Rose, Princess Rose. Her plan to steal his money backfired when she fell in love with him. Prince Phil felt the same way about her too and asked for her hand in marriage.   
Their life together was a happy one. Their first child was Gracia Ul Naga Seyruun. She was a wild child who took after her mother. Ten years after Gracia was born they had their second child: Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun. For years they were a loving family. Both Gracia and Amelia were raised with the utmost care. They were both taught how to act and talk and walk by the best instructors. Gracia wasn't too good at learning manners like Amelia was. She was, however, learning black magic very well from her mother behind the teacher's backs. Life was perfect for them, until a plot to assassinate Prince Phil suddenly arose.   
  
Deep within the slums of Seyruun, a man with shifty eyes met with a man in a hooded robe. "Is everything ready for tonight?" asked the man in the robe. The man with shifty eyes looked insulted. "Of course everything is ready," he said. "Why wouldn't it be? I'm no amateur assassin." "Even professionals can make mistakes, Ordesky," said the hooded man. "As for me, I will not tolerate any mistakes. I want that throne, and my big brother and his little family are the only thing in my way."   
"Yeah, whatever."  
"Don't talk to me that way!" the hooded man was furious. "If my brother and his wife and kids are not dead by midnight tonight I will have you and your whole assassin's guild placed in jail." The hooded man turned around and walked away. "Whatever you say…Prince Randy."  
  
Around seven o'clock, rain clouds began to form over the kingdom of Seyruun. Gracia was very happy after having the greatest birthday party she'd ever had. She had just turned fifteen that day and loved all the presents that she received. She loved the horse her father gave her. Her father gave her mom a present that day, too: a black bikini. Her mom gave her dad an evil smile and they both walked away. She didn't really think much of it because she had more presents to open at the time. But that was five hours ago and it was almost time for her to tuck Amelia into her bed.  
When she opened her little sisters door she found that her dad had already tucked her in and was already telling her a bed time story. Prince Phil stopped speaking and looked at Gracia. "Am I interrupting anything?" she asked. "Not at all Gracia," said Phil, "you can stay if you'd like."   
"No thanks. I just stopped by to say 'Good Night' to Amelia."  
"Okay."  
Gracia walked over to her little sister, lying in bed. "Good night, Amelia," said Gracia, kissing her forehead. Amelia smiled. "G'night," she said. Gracia moved her fingers through her little sister's hair, not knowing that she wouldn't see her sister until ten years later. "I love ya, kiddo," said Gracia, taking her hands off her sister's head. "I love you, too," said Amelia, yawning very sleepy yawn. "I guess I'd better let father finish your bed time story," said Gracia as she walked towards the door.   
"Good night, daddy."  
"Good night, Gracia."  
She shut the door behind her. The next door she'd open would change her life forever.   
  
What a wonderful day it has been, thought Rose as she walked around her room. Gracia was so happy when she opened all her presents. The present that Phil gave me was a bit awkward, but I know he's into all that kinky stuff. Rose giggled at that thought. I wonder what kind of man Gracia will marry. Rose walked to her bed and sat down. If she's anything like me she'll marry some rich, good-looking guy. She lied down on the bed and stretched her arms. "Ahhh…this is the life," she said. As she was lying down, her very sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps on the balcony.  
  
Outside, in the pouring rain, a very wet and very angry Ordesky was ready to do his job. This really stinks, he thought, why did it have to rain today? Ordesky reached into his pocket and pulled out a razor sharp dagger. Once Prince Randy takes Philionel's place, I'll get more money than I can count in two lifetimes. He'd better pay me. I didn't climb up to the balcony for nothing. He moved slowly towards the door. This is going to be a piece of cake. As he reached for the handle Rose quickly opened the door.  
  
Gracia was humming a tune as she walked down the hall to her room. BOOOOOOOOOOMMM. Thunder never really bothered Gracia, but there was something that she heard along with the thunder that made her very disturbed. She thought she heard a scream, but she didn't know where. Maybe I'll go say good night to mom before I go to sleep. She walked past her door and the door to her cousin Alfred and stopped in front of her parent's bedroom. Casually, she opened the door. "Hey mom, I just stopped by to say…" What she saw horrified her to her very soul. Her mom was lying on her bed, dead and covered in blood. Standing next to her body was Ordesky.   
Ordesky gave Gracia a look that she'll never forget. His eyes were not normal. They looked like the eyes of a man with no good in him. "Mother?" said Gracia, tears were running down her face. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MOTHER!?!" Ordesky began to laugh. "Well, isn't this convenient," he said, "instead of looking for you, you've come to me. After all, an assassin/bandit like myself can't go running around all day" Gracia was filled with rage. Tears were rushing out of her eyes. "You…you sonuvabitch," was all that she could say at her present condition. "What was that?" asked Ordesky mockingly. "I couldn't hear you."  
Gracia tightened her fist. "YOU SONUVABITCH!!!" Gracia ran at Ordesky. "Come on little girl," he said, waving his dagger. Gracia placed her hands in front of her. "CHAOS WEB!!!" Black threads shot out of Gracia's hands. "What the!?" Ordesky didn't know what hit him. In less than a second he was trapped in what looked like a black spider web. "What is this….AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The black webbing ripped him into pieces. His blood splattered everywhere. Some even got on Gracia's face.   
Gracia fell to her knees and began to cry. Mother. Why mother? It's all my fault. I could've saved her. If I was fast enough she'd still be alive. What Am I going to tell everyone? How can I show myself around here anymore? Gracia began to cry harder. Instead of trying to solve her problem, she decided to run away from them. I gotta get outta here. Gracia got rid of everything that could would connect her with Seyruun. She took off her dress that was made of cloth found only in Seyruun. Her underwear was also made of the same cloth.   
I can't just run around naked. I have to wear something. She noticed an open dresser. Inside the dresser was her mom's black bikini. She put it on and went to the balcony, looking at her mom's body along the way. Tear's flowing down her cheek, she said, "Good bye." When she got to the balcony the rain was coming down hard. Lighting struck a nearby flag pole, thunder followed very soon. The sound was almost deafening.  
It's now or never, thought Gracia, good-bye everyone. Gracia took a deep breath and leapt off the balcony. Before she hit the ground she cast a levitation spell. Since her power wasn't so strong at the time, she was only ably to make it just outside the castle grounds. She spent most of that night in a dark alley. She didn't sleep at all. She just sat there and thought of what she was going to do with her life from now on.   
The palace was a mess that night. People were rushing everywhere, searching for more unauthorized personnel. Prince Philionel didn't take the shock too well. He just sat next to the bed crying. Amelia was asleep, but she would know in the morning what had happened to her mother while daddy was reading her a bedtime story. The door to the Prince's bedroom opened. "Sir," said a guard, "the search of the grounds is finished." "And what did you find?" asked Phil, his voice was dry, like he had been crying for a while. The guard felt sorry for the prince.   
"Uh…there were no unauthorized personnel on the grounds."  
"Is that all?"  
"No, sir. We haven't been able to locate princess Gracia anywhere. She may have been kidnapped, sir."  
Prince Philionel let out a long sigh. "No she hasn't," said the prince, "she has run away."   
"What makes you think that, your highness?"  
Prince Philionel pointed to Gracia's clothes on the floor and the to the dresser where the black bikini he gave his wife used to hang. "That is how I know," said the prince. There was a flash of lightening followed by thunder. "Should I order my men to look for her?" asked the guard.   
"No. By now she'd probably be wondering the countryside. Just keep your men on the lookout for any suspicious looking people."  
"Yessir."  
The guard left the room closing the door behind him. Prince Philionel just sat there, his face covered in tears and wonder how he'll be able to tell Amelia. The door slowly opened again. "Is it okay if I come in?" It was Randy. "Yes," said the prince in a shaky voice, "you may enter." Randy walked in the room. "I can't believe that someone would do a thing like this," said Randy, walking over to his older brother. "I didn't even no anyone would be capable of a thing like this," said the prince, crying even harder. Randy put his hand on his brother's shoulder, he didn't feel any remorse though. He looked at the corpse of his brother's wife and then noticed the body parts of… "Ordesky…" Prince Philionel was confused.   
"What did you say, Randy?"  
"That man lying there on the floor is Ordesky of the Red Dragon Assassin's Guild."  
"How do you know this?"  
"I've seen him before in the castle dungeon. The head guard down there told me about him. He is supposedly the best assassin in Seyruun."  
Philionel was shocked. "Buy why my wife? Why Rose?" Philionel began to cry harder than he had ever cried in his life. "I don't know brother. I don't know." There was another crackle of thunder. Stupid fool, thought Randy, I'll have to find some other way to dispose of my brother.  
  
What am I going to do? Gracia sat in a dark alley, soaking wet. I have no money, I have no clothes, I have no place to stay. What am I going to do? "What's a girl like you doing here so late at night." Gracia looked up and saw a brutish looking man wearing a black cape with spiked shoulder guards, black gloves, black boots, a necklace with a small skull in the middle, a golden headband with a jewel in the middle, a black shirt, and a pair of black pants. "Leave me alone," said Gracia. "What is your name?" asked the man. Gracia thought it over. She needed a new name along with her new life, but what would it be?   
"Well?" said the man, "what is your name?" What should my new name be? This is tough. I can't be Gracia Ul… "Naga," she said at last. "That's it? Naga?" said the man. He's heard better names in his days. Naga was one of the silliest names he's ever heard. "The serpent," said Gracia. The man laughed at that. "Naga the serpent?" he said, laughing hard. Gracia grew angry. "I'm sorry for laughing," said the man. "My Name is Max Fairbanks. I am a member a new bandit gang called 'The Dragon Fang.' I saw you in the alley and we are desperate for new recruits so I though I might ask you if you'd like to join."   
"Bandit?" said Gracia. The man who killed my mother was a bandit. Gracia stood up and walked slowly towards Max. "I…hate…BANDITS!!!" shouted Gracia. Gracia put her hands on Max's chest. "BURST RONDO!!" There was a loud explosion in the alley. Max was knocked out cold, his chest was burnt to a crisp. Gracia took this as a blessing in disguise. She took Max's money pouch, and put on his cape, his headband, his gloves, his necklace, and his boots. That's much better, she thought.   
Gracia walked out of the alley. The rain had died down a bit, but the sound of thunder was still as loud as ever. Guards were rushing down the roads everywhere. Gracia couldn't stay out here for long. She'd be spotted and taken to the castle. The guards knew the faces of every member of the royal family. Gracia walked into the nearest inn and used Max's money to stay for the night.   
She laid her clothes out to dry, and got in bed. The image of her mother covered in blood kept appearing in her mind. She didn't want to be anywhere near the palace. She wanted to get as far away as possible. She decided that tomorrow would be the day she left Seyruun behind forever. That night she cried couldn't stop crying. That was her last night in the kingdom of Seyruun. 


	5. Food For Thought

Chapter 5: Food for thought  
  
The table was covered with piles of empty plates and the piles were getting even bigger. Lina was cramming as much food into her mouth as she possibly can. Gourry was doing the same thing. Naga and Amelia were hardly touching their food. They spent most of their time talking.   
"So you've been traveling around with Lina the whole time?" asked Amelia.  
"Not the whole time. For about a year or so, then I went on my own," replied Naga. "I've mostly been hanging around Sandoria fort he last couple of years."  
"Sandoria!?" said Amelia. "So that was you."   
"What do you mean?"  
"About three years ago, Miss Lina, Mr. Gourry, and I were in Sandoria while in disguise trying to get on a ship to Sairaag. I thought I saw you there, but you had brown hair." Amelia turned to Gourry. "Don't you remember, Mr. Gourry? That was when that Volun guy proposed to you." "Gourry became sick to his stomach. "Don't remind me," he said, and continued to eat. Lina grabbed a new plate and held it up to her face so the food would go into her mouth quicker   
"What have you been doing in Sandoria?" asked Amelia. She was full of questions.  
"I've been stealing from pirates and bandits in the area. Then one day, I found a bottle with a letter in it that came from the legendary Galleon of Gold."  
"The Galleon of Gold?" Amelia was shocked, "Really? Does the letter say where it is located this time?" Lina slowed down her eating pace so she could hear what they were saying. Amelia continued to speak. "I remember when Seyruun first found the Galleon of Gold. Only five of the sailors came back alive. Can I see the bottle?" Naga became angry. "I'm sorry, my dear sister," said Naga, locking her eyes on Lina, "but I let someone look at it and they destroyed it."  
"Destroyed it!?!" Amelia was even more shocked. "The bottle alone would be worth seventy-five thousand gold pieces." Lina froze. Food fell of her plate and landed on her lap, but she took no notice. "And the letter would be worth more than two times the gold in the Seyruun, easily." Lina's grip on the plate weakened, letting it slide through her fingers and land on the lap along with the food that was on it. Amelia continued to speak. "Whoever did that must've been very stupid. I mean, if they followed the directions in the letter to the Galleon of Gold and succeeded in getting even a twelfth of the gold that it held they'd have more gold than twenty letters."   
Lina's heart kept beating faster and faster. She thought she would have a heart attack from the things that she heard. Gourry finished the food off his plate and began to speak. "Hey, Lina," he said, "weren't you the one who Naga gave the bottle and letter to?" Lina suddenly snapped. "ALRIGHT!! IT WAS ME!!" she cried. "I thought it was a fake. How was I supposed to know it was real?" Amelia was in even more shock than when she heard the bottle and letter was destroyed. "Miss Lina!?" she shouted. "You were the last person in the world I'd expect throw away the key to the largest amount of treasure that ever existed."  
"Quit rubbing it in already!" Lina was angry, not at Amelia or Naga, but at herself for being so foolish. Gourry began to laugh. "What's so funny, Mr. Gourry?" asked Amelia.   
"I've been called "jellyfish brains" for years," he said, laughing like a mad man, "but now…HAHA…but now look who's got the brains of a jellyfish?" Gourry pointed at Lina, still laughing hysterically. "Why you stupid, block-headed…"  
"I'm stupid? You're the one who destroyed the letter."   
Gourry laughed even harder, pounding the table with his fist, and then stopped when Lina began to chant some gibberish. "That's more like it," said Lina.  
Naga cleared her throat. "Don't worry," she said. "Luckily, I've made a copy of the letter and have drawn on a map of the path to the Galleon of Gold." Dollar signs showed up in Lina's eyes. "Alright," said Lina, standing up. The plate fell off her lap and shattered on the floor. The food hit with a loud SPLAT. "To make up for destroying the letter, I, Lina Inverse, will accompany you on your journey." This is just great, thought Naga, I was going to keep all the gold to myself. She's probably going to try and trick her way into getting an even bigger portion than I do. "What would you want in return?" asked Naga. "Something in return?" said Lina with an innocent expression on her face. "I couldn't possibly ask for anything in return. But since you're offering, I'll only take twenty-five percent. Gourry will be with me, too and he deserves twenty-five percent as well. And Amelia is probably coming along, too, right?" Amelia nodded. "That's another twenty-five percent right there." Lina had a big smile on her face.   
A bead of sweat rolled along Naga's right cheek. At least she's not getting a bigger share than me, thought Naga. " But…" Naga didn't like that sound of that "but." "…since Gourry has no need for gold of any kind, I'll gladly take his share." "Gee, thanks Lina…I think," said Gourry. "What a nice thing for you to do, Miss Lina," said Amelia. Dammit, thought Naga, I knew it was too good to be true. Lina couldn't be any happier. Hahahaha, thought Lina, I'm gonna be filthy stinkin' rich. 


	6. Inn and Out

Chapter Six: Inn and Out  
  
That night, they stayed at a very fancy inn. Since Amelia was there to on official business (in this case, it was to see if there were any place in Rikido village that was good enough for her grandfather to stay in) she was able to get three free rooms: one for Lina, one for Gourry, and one for her and her sister. Amelia wanted to spend as much time with her sister as possible. Lina spent most of her time at the little store they had at the inn. Gourry just sat in the lounge.   
Inside their room, Amelia changed into her pajamas. "Gracia?" said Amelia, slipping on her silk PJs. "Yeah, Kido?" said Naga as she hung her cape on the coat rack. A small tear of happiness rolled down Amelia's cheek. "W-Why did you choose to dress that way?" Naga's eyes began to water, but she fought them with all her strength. "No one would suspect me of being a princess if I dressed like this," replied Naga.   
"Oh…"  
There was a long, awkward pause. "How come you never wrote to us?" asked Amelia. She began to cry. Naga looked at Amelia and then turned away. "I…" Naga's throat felt dry, "I didn't want to be followed." Amelia was confused. How could we follow her by a letter? thought Amelia. "If I had sent a letter," continued Naga, "father would have hired experts to analyze the paper and the ink to find out what part of the world I was in. He'd send people out there to look for me and bring me home. If I used ink from one place and paper form somewhere else they'd still know what post office I dropped it off at. Even If I sent a messenger bird they could track me down." Naga took in a deep breath and let it out. "I just didn't want anything to do with my old life after mom's death."   
  
Gourry was bored. He just sat there on the couch in the lounge, sipping a cup of tea. This has been one wacky day, he thought. I guess tomorrow will be even wackier. I mean, we are going to be on an adventure to get a boatload of treasure that is located twenty-five degrees north latitude and forty-eight degrees longitude. That's a good hundred kilometers from the closest human society. Even if we get there the odds would be approximately twenty-one thousand eight hundred thirty-one to one, well actually to four. I have to include the variables that are in actuality Lina, Amelia, Naga, and myself. Of course the presence of raw, bloody meat would deduce the odds by ninety-eight point four. If I had the sword of light the odds against us would be reduced by a factor of three. But if I use the sword I have in my possession and add a poly-neutronic charge to increase the molecular charge output of the sword, the odds of us succeeding will dramatically rise. Or maybe I could quantilze the variable of our stratigized pre-consensus framework. Of course! That would simplify everything.  
"Hey, blockhead!" shouted Lina. "Are you just going to sit there, sipping tea, and staring off into space, or are you going to help he carry all of this stuff to my room?" "What stuff?" asked Gourry. "All I see is you." Lina snapped her fingers and ten men with their hands full of knick-knacks and doohicky-mabobbers came rushing up to Lina. "Where do you want these, ma'am?" asked the one at the head of the line in a strenuous voice. "Room two seventy-five," said Lina. "The door's unlocked, you can just go inside and set them down anywhere. And by 'anywhere,' I mean at the foot of my bed."  
"Yes, ma'am."  
The ten men ran to Lina's room with all their speed, without dropping anything. "What do I carry, Lina?" asked Gourry.   
"You carry me, of course."  
"Why, you?"  
"My legs are so tired from walking around that store. I don't think I could make it back to my room."  
"Well, if you say so."  
Gourry drank the rest of his tea and walked towards Lina. "Just don't move around a lot like that time after we fought those Berserkers." Gourry bent over and lifted Lina with all his strength. "Y'know, Lina," said Gourry, "for a girl you sure are heavy." "One more wise crack from you and no more bedtime stories, ya hear?" "No more Billy the Bunny tales!? Alright, I won't say a thing."  
  
Sleep didn't come easily for Naga. She just lied there in bed, staring at the ceiling. What am I going to do? she thought. Amelia will tell father about me and I'll have to return to the castle. I don't want to go back. Naga rolled over on her side and watched Amelia as she slept. I'd almost forgotten how cute she is when she's asleep. It's been so long. It feels like yesterday when I last said good night to her. She sure has grown up, though. Not only in height. Her breasts are even bigger than Lina's were when she was her age. Now that I think about it, I don't recall Lina's breasts ever being bigger than they are now. Naga giggled a bit, but her thoughts quickly returned to Amelia. "Sleep well, kiddo," said Naga, "we've got a big day tomorrow." I never thought I'd be saying that anytime soon. Naga giggled a bit more and then dozed off.   
  
"Gourry, you passed my room!" Lina shouted as she whacked Gourry on the head. "Ow! S-Sorry, Lina." Gourry backed up a bit and put Lina down. "What are you doing, Gourry?" yelled Lina. "But this is your room," said Gourry.   
"You're supposed to put me down on my bed. In my fragile state, my legs could snap in two if I even attempt to walk around. Pick me up again and place me on my bed…NOW!!!"  
"Yes your majesty."   
Gourry bent over and picked Lina up again. "That's more like it," said Lina. "When we get through with this journey, I'll by my own kingdom and call it 'Lina Land.' It'll be the happiest place on earth. And I'm going to have banquets at every mealtime, everyday. Then, I'll hire scientist to develop a cure for stupidity and I'll use it to make you, Gourry, head of the cleaning-up-after-me squad." "You want me to be a janitor?" asked Gourry.   
"No way! You'll be a Master of the Custodial Arts."   
"Okay. As long as I'm not a janitor."  
Gourry placed Lina on her bed and let out a loud sigh of relief. Phew! She is one heavy lady, thought Gourry. "Thank you very much," said Lina, handing Gourry a few gold coins. "Why are you being so generous, Lina?" asked Gourry. "Hey," she said, "I'm going to be filthy, stinkin' rich in about a week, so why would I need these old coins anyway? 'Out with the old and in with the new.' That's what they say. And if we run short of money we can always count on Amelia to use her 'influence' to get what we need." Lina stretched her arms and lied down on her bed. "Good night, Gourry," said Lina as she pulled her sheets over her.   
"Good night, Lina."   
Before he finished, Lina was already asleep. Gourry smiled and walked out of Lina's room. Closing the door quietly behind him. Gourry walked down to his room, opened the door, and went straight to bed. He dreamed about the Sword of Light, and how he gave it away. Then he dreamt about his fight with Zangulas and how he kicked his butt. Naga's dreams were not so happy.  
  
BOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!! The sound of thunder grew louder each time in the darkness. There was no lightening, just thunder. Where am I? thought Naga. Thunder boomed again, sending a shiver of terror through her whole body. Up ahead she saw two small dots of light. Someone must be here. Naga tried to speak, but her words wouldn't come out. What's going on here. Then it hit her. I must be dreaming. Naga walked over to the two lights at a steady pace, but they didn't seem to get any closer. She started to run, but to no avail.   
This is hopeless. Naga just stood there. And turned away from the lights. BOOOOOOM!!! Thunder again, but this time there was lightening. BOOOM!!! More lightening. The darkness gradually began to take form. It became a room. A room that she knew too well. She turned around and saw her mother, sitting on her bed. Mother? Naga's eyes began to water. Rose just sat there, on the bed. She giggled and lied down, stretching her arms. Oh, mother. You're alive. Naga began to cry hard. She walked towards her mother when she suddenly got out of the bed and ran to the balcony door. Mother? What's wrong? Rose opened the door, and standing in front of her was Ordesky. His eyes filled with the purest evil. No no NO!! Not this! Please No. Rose tried to fight the man, but was pushed onto her bed. Rose let out a loud scream. Ordesky quickly ran up to her and stabbed her repeatedly with his dagger. STOP IT!!! STOP IT!!! DON'T KILL MY MOTHER!!! Naga couldn't control herself.   
She put her hands in front of her and tried to cast a spell. Nothing happen. Suddenly, Ordesky stopped stabbing Rose. Naga looked at Ordesky and Ordesky turned his head and looked at her. Naga became petrified with fear. It was those eyes. The eyes that had haunted her dreams many times. "Fancy meeting you here, Gracia," said Ordesky, licking the blood off his dagger. "It's a shame isn't it? She was such a beautiful woman. She would still be around if you had came a bit sooner. You heard her scream, too. I guess it shows how much you really loved you mother." No. STOP IT!!! Naga's face was covered with sweat and tears. Ordesky walked slowly over to her "You could've ran to her aid, but you just walked slowly while I stabbed her to death." Please stop. Ordesky was now in front of her. He gave her that look she hated so much. "It was your fault that she died. You didn't care enough to run. You didn't even care about her. That's why you allowed her to die. You're the real monster, not me." Ordesky leaned in closer.  
"It is was all your fault."  
BOOOOOOM!!!! 


	7. On the Road Again

Chapter seven: On the road again   
  
It was a beautiful day. A rainbow streaked across the morning sky, the reward for a night of rain. A single ray of sunshine made it through the curtains and landed on Lina's right eye. Lina tossed and turned, trying to get the sun off her face. More sunlight was coming through the curtains. Pretty soon, Lina's whole body was covered in sunlight. "RRGH!!!" Lina put her pillow over her face. Much better, she thought. Knock! Knock! Knock! "Lina," Gourry was at the door, "get up Lina." Lina was getting very angry right about now. "Just leave me alone, Gourry," she said, "I'm trying to sleep."   
"But they have an All-You-Can-Eat breakfast buffet at this inn."  
Gourry had just said the magic word. Before Gourry could knock on the door again, Lina opened it and ran to the dining room. "C'mon, slowpoke," she said as she made it to the stairs, "I'm not going to wait all day." Gourry closed Lina's door and ran with great speed to try and get to the buffet before Lina.   
Lina and Gourry made it there at the same time. There was a fierce battle who'd get to eat first. Gourry pushed Lina down, but Lina grabbed his hair All the people at their tables stared at Lina and Gourry. They didn't know what to make of them. Suddenly, Gourry broke free and grabbed a plate. Lina didn't waste any time. She just grabbed a tray full of sausage, and brought it to a table. Gourry arrived soon after with a plate that had a huge pile of pancakes.   
Lina and Gourry stared at each other. They were liked that for minutes, not blinking, until something triggered them to start eating like there was no tomorrow. Lina grabbed handfuls of sausages and shoved them into her mouth. Gourry had five pancakes on one fork at a time and appeared to be inhaling them because every time he put the pancakes in his mouth he'd get another five on his fork and put them in his mouth again. All of the other guests were dumbfounded. How could anyone eat so much? and Are they even human? was what most of them were thinking. Within no time at all, Lina and Gourry were halfway done with.  
It was around that time that Naga and Amelia arrived. Naga saw Lina and Gourry stuffing their faces with food. How on earth are they going to pay for all of that food? thought Naga. Lina spent practically all of her money last night. Lina finished her sausages and began to lick the tray. "Looks like Lina and Gourry are taking advantage of the All-You-Can-Eat buffet," said Amelia. Her face was beaming with happiness. "Would you like any breakfast, Gracia?" asked Amelia. Silence. Amelia looked to her right and saw that Gracia wasn't there. Then she looked at the buffet and saw her sister removing a tray full of sliced up ham. "C'mon, Amelia," said Naga, "It's all you can eat."   
  
Their stomachs full of food and their minds thinking nothing of riches, Lina and Naga set out on the biggest adventure in their lives. Gourry and Amelia tagged along as well. After all, somebody had to carry the food. They hiked twenty-five miles that day, along the Great West Road and deep into Firian Wood. They camped out next to Mering Stream and had a long awaited dinner. Lina and Naga sat down on a fallen tree trunk while Amelia and Gourry were trying desperately to catch up.  
"I…I think we're almost there," wheezed Gourry. His back was already messed up from carrying the bag for twenty-five miles, but now his shoulders were slowly moving out of their sockets. "Hang in there, Mr. Gourry," said Amelia, "carrying a bag is not that bad."   
"Hey. You're used to carrying bags full of food for countless miles, but this is the first time I've had to do this."  
"That's because we have my big sister traveling with us. We'd naturally need another bag carrier."  
"How do you even…ERR…there goes my right shoulder….how do you even put up with the weight for so long?"  
"Once you carry these kind of bags long enough, your bones start to bend and form little pockets where the straps are supposed to go. That reduces the strain a bit."  
"But it must hurt to get those pockets, right?"  
"Like hell."  
The dense vegetation of shrubs and bushes were beginning to spread out. Through the needles of nearby furs, Gourry and Amelia saw Naga and Lina arguing of something that seemed important by their body language. "I'm gonna tell you this for the last time, Naga," said Lina, "the meat will taste better if we roast it first then dip it in the sauce." Naga laughed. "Oh Lina, you really are stupid, aren't you?" said Naga. "We should marinate the meat in the sauce for an hour so it will soak up the flavor, then you roast it." Out of the corner of her eye, Lina saw Amelia and Gourry enter the campsite. "Let's ask them what they think," said Lina. "Agreed," replied Naga.  
Gourry was relieved to get the bag off. "Ohhh….that feels much better than when me and Lina have sex," said Gourry, rubbing his right shoulder. Lina's face became red. "S-SHUT UP, GOURRY!!" shouted Lina as she threw a rock at Gourry's head. Naga had a big grin on her face. "Ooooo…Lina's all grown-up after all," said Naga. "Don't make me grab another rock, Naga!" said Lina. "I'm so proud of you Miss Lina," said Amelia as she put her bag down. "I just hope you used a protection spell." Lina had never been more embarrassed in her life. "Can we just drop the subject?" asked Lina. "We're supposed to be talking about how to prepare the meat for our dinner." "Personally," said Gourry, "I think that the meat would taste much better if it's marinated for a while before we cooked it." One point for Naga. "I think we should just roast the meat first, then dip it in some sauce," said Amelia. "That way, we can eat it much sooner." One point for Lina. "Then there's only one way to settle this," said Naga. Lina nodded her head. 


	8. A Midsummer night's perv

Chapter eight: A Midsummer night's perv  
  
Naga leered at Lina. Lina leered back. Both of their eyes were locked onto each other in what appeared to be an ordinary staring contest, but it was something much more. Amelia and Gourry looked at the two of them, not knowing what was about to happen. Beads of sweat rolled down Lina's face, even more were rolling down Naga's. Suddenly, a small ball of light began to glow in between the two of their eyes and was getting bigger. "What the heck is that?" asked Gourry. "It appears to be some sort of lighting spell," replied Amelia.   
  
  
  
The ball of light grew bigger and bigger. Soon it was nearly the size their heads. Then, almost instantaneously, the ball stopped growing and moved closer to Naga. Naga's eyes slowly began to close. Beads of sweat were sliding into her eyes. The ball got closer and closer, and then, it changed directions. Naga's eyes opened wider and the ball moved towards Lina. It was now Lina's turn to squint. Unlike what happened to Naga, the ball of light didn't change directions. It moved so close to Lina's face that it was practically touching her nose. Lina's eyes grew wide and then closed. The ball of light disappeared.  
"AHH!! My eyes!!" shouted Lina as she rubbed her eyes vigorously. "That was a cheap shot, Naga." "Look who's talking," said Naga who was also rubbing her eyes. Not knowing what had just happened, Amelia and Gourry just stood there. Once Lina's eyes began to focus again she looked around to see if there were any problems. She saw two blurry figures, but couldn't make out what they were. Very slowly the blur went away and she saw Gourry and Amelia. "What the heck are you doing standing there?" asked Lina. "Go get some firewood." She turned to Naga. "And you, you cheater, you marinate the meat. I'm going to take a bath."  
  
As she walked along the Mering Stream, Lina couldn't get rid of the feeling like she was being watched. Something's not right, she thought. There are no sounds coming from the forest. Just as she thought that, the forest boomed with life. Birds began to sing, crickets chirped, and frogs crocked. Must've been my imagination. Lina walked a little further until she came upon a drop-off in the stream. This looks like a good spot to soak.   
Lina quickly undressed, placing all of her clothes in a neat pile on the ground. Here we go. Lina tested the water with her right foot. It was ice cold. Ain't no way I'm going to bathe in water that cold. Lina held out her hands and began to cast a fireball. "Source of all power. Crimson fire burning bright. Let thy power gather within my hand….FIRE BA…..AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Out of nowhere, an unknown force pushed Lina. She fell into the water and screamed.   
"COLD!!!! Cold water! COLD WATER!!!" She reached for ground, but stopped when she saw a tan colored shoe. What the hell? thought Lina. She slowly looked up. Dark colored pants, cloth rapped around the waste, yellowish colored shirt, dark cape… When she finally reached the face she knew exactly who it was. "XELLOS!?!" shouted Lina. "Why hello there, Lina," said Xellos. "Long time no see."  
"Who the heck do you think you are, pushing me in like that?" asked Lina, who was filled with rage. "It was all in fun, really," replied Xellos, putting one hand behind his head. "If I wasn't naked and cold I'd blast you back to the nether world," said Lina. "Why are you here, anyway?" "I'm her to give you some advice that will help you on your trip," he replied. "Seventy Miles North, in that direction…" Xellos pointed down the stream to his left. "…is the port of Morannon." "I know that," said Lina, "we were planing on heading that direction and taking a ship to the island of Orphen and then rent a boat to get to Ark."  
"That path would sound logical," said Xellos, "but the waters between Ark and Orphen are swarming with sea serpents and things far worse than any ogre you'll see on land." This piece of information changed Lina's thinking quite a bit. If we won't be able to reach Ark, then how will we get the treasure? "However," said Xellos, holding his finger up in that way he does so very often, "there is an alternate route that is much safer and much shorter." Shorter? Safer? "Thirty-six miles north-west of here is the harbor town of Linhir. From there you should take a boat to Wolfpac Island. I'll be waiting for you there." Lina couldn't comprehend what Xellos had just said. "Hold on a minute," said Lina, no longer noticing the coldness of the water, "you want us to take a boat to Wolfpac Island? Are you insane? If Lord Beastmaster finds out that we're on her island she'll kill us." "On the contrary," said Xellos, "this was her plan to begin with." "What?" asked Lina. "Why would she help us?" "Because of what you're after," replied Xellos.  
Because of what I'm after? What's he talking about. "The gold that you're after belongs to Deep-Sea Dolphin," said Xellos. "And that's why she wants to help us?" asked Lina. "You'll find out more when you reach Wolfpac Island. So, until we meet again…" Xellos opened a dimensional fold and stepped inside. "…this is good-bye." The fold closed behind him. "Hey, Xellos!" shouted Lina, "wait!" She was too late. Xellos was already gone. Why does he always do that? Might as well wash up while I'm in…!!!!!!!!! The coldness of the water suddenly came back and Lina let out a loud scream. "COLD WATER!!!!!!!" 


	9. A second Party

Chapter nine: A second party.  
  
Not too far away from the village of Rikido, in the small kingdom of Andrast, a struggling businessman by the name of Pippin Lloyd was standing outside of the castle gates, trying to get in. "But I'm telling you the truth," said Pippin, "I have information that will make our kingdom the most powerful in the world." "Yeah right," said the guard, "why should we believe you?"  
"Because I have this."  
Pippin reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "This is a map to find the Galleon of Gold," said Pippin as he showed the map to the guard. "This is a map?" asked the Guard. "It looks more like crap. I can tell that this thing is a fake. Now get out of here or it's the dungeon for you." Pippin put the map back into his pocket. "You're gonna regret what you just did," he said, "when I'm rich, I'll buy this kingdom and send you into the streets." "Hah!" laughed that guard, "that'll be the day."  
Pippin walked away from the castle gates and into a dark alley where he took out a match and a cigar. "Those things will kill you," said a voice from deep inside the darkness of the alley. "Who's there?" asked Pippin. "Just someone who's interested in that little piece of paper that you carry," said the voice. Footsteps soon followed. Soon, sunlight from what was left of the sun for the day shined on the owner of the voice. It was a girl around the age of sixteen. "I'm willing to join you on your quest for the galleon," she said. "I'm not going," said Pippin, "I wouldn't last one day away from civilization."   
"Then I'll go."  
"And why would I give this map to a kid, huh?"  
Another voice came from the shadows. "This is no ordinary kid." From the shadows emerged a boy about the same age as the girl. "I'm not a kid," said the girl. "Well, you sure act like one," said the boy.   
"No I don't"  
"Yes you do."  
"Says who."  
"Me. That's who"  
"And who do you think you are anyway, talking to me like that?"  
"I'm your partner, remember?"  
"I work alone."  
"Since when?"  
"Since now."  
"You're getting rid of me after all of those times I saved your life?"  
"Who said I needed your help anyway?"  
"Well, when you say 'Help me, Chris," that kinda gives someone the impression that you need help."  
"I never asked you for help."  
"Yes you did."  
"When?"  
"In the cave of Arnor when those trolls came out of nowhere and ambushed you."  
"And where were you at the time?"  
"I was outside."  
"And why was that?"  
"Because you said, 'This'll be a piece of cake. Just wait out here till I get back.'"  
"I don't remember that at all."  
"That's where you got your sword crafted by the elves."  
"I don't have a sword like that."  
"You're wearing it right now."  
"Oh yeah! I forgot. Sorry about what I said."  
"It's okay."  
  
"Excuse me," said Pippin, confused about what had just happened, "but who are you two?"  
The boy cleared his throat. "My name is Christopher Boe," he said, "and this is my business partner Alexandria Williams." Alexandria had a smug look on her face. "I've never heard of you," said Pippin.  
"We don't like to be well known," said Alexandria, "so we don't get much trouble from the law." Pippin sighed, and reached into his pocket. "You can keep the map if you want it so badly," he said. "It's probably a fake, considering the fact that I stole it from some bimbo at a restaurant in Rikido Village last night." Pippin handed the map over to Alexandria who snatched it right away. "Just make sure you don't get killed along the way," said Pippin. "I don't want a thing like that haunting my conscience." Pippin lit his cigar and walked away leaving two very skilled treasure hunters with the treasure map of all treasure maps.   
"Chris," said Alexandria.  
"Yeah?"   
"We're leaving at sunrise." 


	10. Family Reunion Part II

Chapter ten: Family Reunion Part II  
  
Lina returned to the campsite shivering. She had dried off her body but the coldness would haunt her for several hours. Naga had already put the meat on a spit and began to roast it slowly. Gourry was sitting next to the fire, poking at it with a long, thin stick. Lina sat down next Naga and realized something was missing. "Where's Amelia?" asked Lina. "She went to get some more firewood," replied Naga, roasting the meat with the utmost care. "Didn't she leave to get firewood an hour ago?" asked Gourry. That's right, thought Naga, what could be taking her so long?   
Naga stopped turning the spit and looked deep into the woods where Amelia walked off into. She couldn't hear or see anything in that direction. "Take care of the meat, Lina," said Naga. Lina nodded and began to turn the spit slowly. Naga stood up. "I'll be back in a while," she said, and walked off into the woods. "Don't get lost," said Gourry, "you're the one who has the map." I know I have the map, you nimrod, thought Naga. "Alright," said Naga. "I'll be careful, Gourry." Ya big idiot.  
Naga was walking through the woods for five minutes and she was getting nowhere, fast. The only things that she found out was that misquotes didn't bite as much is she rapped her body with her cape. Stupid Amelia, she thought, where'd she disappear to? Just then, she head distant voices coming from up ahead. She couldn't make out who the first voice was, but she knew that the other was Amelia. She must be sneaking out to meet with a lover or something. That's my little sister.   
At an attempt to blend in with the darkness, Naga covered her body with her cape, leaving only a small part open so she could see. Very slowly she crept through the forest, trying very hard to not make a sound. She paid no attention to what Amelia and the other person was saying. Her only thought was to get there undetected and scare her. The second voice became a bit clearer as she moved closer. It was definitely a man's voice, but that's all she cared to think about. She was now within an arms length of Amelia. Then, very quickly, she stood up and gave Amelia a quick scare.  
"BOO!!!"   
Amelia, terrified, grabbed the man's arm. "What took you so long, squirt?" asked Naga. "Who ya talkin to?" She looked at Amelia, then looked at the man. He was dressed in black, and wearing a black mask. He was very big, and very strong. "Who are you?" asked Naga. "Are you her boyfriend or somethin?" The man did not reply. "I'm sorry if I scared you," said Naga, "but I was worried about my little sister here." Naga looked at Amelia, still holding the man's arm. "C'mon, shrimp," said Naga, "the foods almost ready." "O-Okay," said Amelia, letting go of the man's arm. "Good-bye," said Naga to the man in black, "next time is you want to speak with Amelia, you don't have to do it this far from our camp." "Bye," said Amelia to the man. A tear ran down her cheek and she walked away with Naga.   
The man in black waved back. Behind the mask, tears were flowing out of his eyes as if they'd never end. He was just so happy that Amelia had sent him a messenger pigeon the night before and that he could see his eldest daughter again. He knew that pretty soon he'd have to return to Seyruun as Crown Prince Philionel De Seyruun. But that wasn't his major concern. What her was concerned about right now, was that both his daughters came back from this adventure safely. Until they do, he will always be watching from a far. 


	11. The Blonde Haired Blunder

Chapter eleven: The Blonde haired Blunder   
  
Early the next morning, Lina woke everyone up and told them about what had happened last night and what Xellos told her to do. "Wolfpac Island!?" shouted Naga. "Are you nuts? Do you even know what lurk around the waters of Wolfpac Island?" "Don't worry," said Lina, "we're being expected. I hardly think that any of the monsters would harm the guests of Lord Beastmaster." "What do you mean by 'guests,' Lina?" asked Naga.   
"This was all her idea. That's what Xellos said, and he's never lied to us. He's neglected to tell us things from time to time, but the things he has told us were always true. Isn't that right, Amelia?"  
Amelia nodded and continued to pack things into the bag that she'd be carrying. Gourry tried to pack up his bag, but soon fell fast asleep. "I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Naga. "But if anything goes wrong we're following this map." Naga reached into a little fanny pack that she'd been carrying around for a while. "It's gone!" yelled Naga. "I guess we'll just have to take the secondary path," said Amelia. I know I didn't lose it, thought Naga. It must've been stolen, but by who?  
  
No more than fifteen minutes they were on the road again. They backtracked along the Great West Road for five miles and cut through the Meadow Forlond. Soon, they found themselves wondering through Durthang Mash for what seemed like forever. During their hike, Gourry collapsed six times. He stopped when Lina threatened to blast him with a fireball. They spent four days traveling through the Durthang Marsh, and their food was running low. Which was good news and bad news for Gourry. If they'd gone on their original course they could've stocked up at the town of Lamendon days ago. On the fourth day of traveling through the marsh they came upon Wine Water Creek, on the other side of it was the town of Linhir.   
The sun was still high in the noon sky when the gang checked into a cheap inn. They were covered in mud, animal feces, and other, more foul smelling things. "Before I allow you to go inside your rooms," said the innkeeper, holding his nose tight, "I must ask you to bathe in the public bathhouse a few blocks down." At the mention of the word bathhouse, they were already on their way out.   
They all had a long, soothing bath in clean, hot, steaming water, but it was not cheap. They had to use some of Amelia's money to pay for Gourry (who was in the next room) and to get towels. "This feel soooo good," said Lina as she splashed some water on her face. "I'll say," said Naga as she drank some of the bath's complementary saké. "So, Lina," said Naga, wiping her mouth, "how do we get a boat to Wolfpac Island from here?" Lina suddenly realized something. She was going to ask Xellos the same question, but he left so suddenly and the coldness of the water made the thought leave her mind, so she never actually knew how they'd get to Wolfpac from Linhir.   
  
In the men's bath, Gourry was soaking quietly when a young traveler decided to soak next to him. He had dark hair and really dark eyes. He was not as tall as Gourry, but he looked just as strong. "Geez," said the man, "you look like you've been through hell." "Nah," replied Gourry, " just the Durthang Marsh." The traveler's eyes grew wider. "You actually went through the Durthang Marsh?" he asked. "Well, yeah," said Gourry. "It's supposed to be a short-cut." The traveler was in awe of Gourry. "I heard the road that goes through the Durthang Marsh was very dangerous and was swarming with bandits," he said. "How did you manage to get through without a scar or something? Anyway, my name is uh… Dias, pleased to meet you." Now it was Gourry's turn to have his eyes grow wide. "There's a road?" he asked in a surprised tone.   
  
"Lina," said Naga, "are you okay? You just stared off into space for like three minutes." Lina slowly turned her head toward Naga. "Of course I'm okay," she said in a shaky voice. "Then how do we get to Wolfpac from here?" asked Naga. Lina didn't say anything. "Lina?" said Naga. "Not again."  
  
"So you actually had the sword of light?" asked Dias. "Yeah," said Gourry, "I gave it to this guy called Sirius, or something. The sword I have now was given to me by a bunch of crazy, warriors of justice." "And that was also in the outer world?" asked Dias. "Yeah," replied Gourry. "So," said Dias, his face looked like it was full of questions, "what brings you all the way here to Linhir?" Gourry rubbed his right shoulder. "I'm traveling with some friends to find the Galleon of Gold." Dias's eyes suddenly shrank into a leer, but Gourry didn't notice. "The Galleon of Gold, eh?" said Dias. "How do you expect to get there from here?" "We're going to take a boat to Wolfpac Island. We're supposed to be expected there by someone known as Lord Beastmasker." Dias crossed his arms, his eyes were fixed on Gourry. "You don't say," he said. "It was all my friend, Lina Inverse's idea," said Gourry. Dias's eyes grew big again. Lina Inverse? he thought. "Actually it was Xellos's plan," corrected Gourry.  
Dias's eyes grew even bigger. Dammit, thought Dias, this will more difficult than expected. "I think I should be going now," said Dias. "I have something important to take care of, so I'll just dry off" Dias got out of the bath and grabbed a towel on a nearby bench. "Nice talking to you," said Gourry, waving his hand. Gourry moved his arms around in the bath water. When he touched the water were Dias had sat he was shocked. It's ice cold, thought Gourry, and it's getting colder? He quickly turned in the direction where Dias was drying off and found that he had left.   
Gourry got out of the bath and walked over to the place where Dias was. All that was left was the towel he used and it was on the ground. Gourry bent over and picked it up. The towel had frost all over it. Behind, he heard a cracking sound. Gourry turned around and was not expecting what he saw. The entire bath was frozen solid. Gourry looked at the towel, then back at the bath, then to the exit door. What the hell just happened, he thought and gripping the towel tighter. 


	12. The Road to the Galleon

Chapter twelve: The road to the Galleon  
  
Fifteen miles to the west, around the same time Lina and the gang came across Wine Water Creek, Chris and Alexandria were on their way to the Linhir to seek a ship that will take them to the island of Cross. Chris was wearing a rusty green and brown outfit and carried with him a dagger, a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a small sack filled with enough food for one more day's traveling. Alexandria was wearing clothes that she designed herself: a shirt with no sleeves and didn't cover up her stomach, pants that had stripes of black and different shades of green and brown. "Cammies" is what she called them. Her weapons were a sword and a long knife. She carried with her a sack that contained a tent and a box of flint and tinder to start fires. They didn't speak for a while until Chris decided to break the silence.  
"Why do we have to go to Cross?" asked Chris. Alexandria sighed. "It is a lot quicker if we go to Cross then to Orphen at this time of the year because of the wind." "I doubt the wind direction would take us faster to Orphan," said Chris. Alexandria said nothing, she just continued to walk down the road. Chris smiled. "This doesn't have anything to do with the Legendary Treasure of Cross that you couldn't find three years ago, does it?" he asked. Alexandria laughed. "Don't be silly," she said, "I've given up trying to find that junk a long time agold." "I think you have a gold problem, Alexandria," said Chris. "That was low," said Alexandria, picking up the pace even more, "I never knew you could be so gold hearted." Chris grew confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked.   
"What do you mean by that!?…gold."  
"You keep saying gold this and gold that."  
"I have no idea what you gold…I mean…uh…gold."  
Chris sighed. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to look for it again," he said, rubbing his head. Alexandria smiled. "That's the spirit," said Alexandria, "Now let's try to get to Linhir before nightfall. Both Chris and Alexandria picked up their pace to where they were practically jogging and kept it there for a while until an unexpected visitor decided to drop in…  
  
It was nearly sundown and they were six miles from Linhir. Chris and Alexandria were still walking at a brisk pace down the Greenway Road and it was starting to live up to it's name. They entered a wooded area were practically everything was green. The tree bark was green, the bushes were green, green grass, green leaves, there were even green flowers which only grew in that area and could be made into a paste that has no use what-so-ever. Con artists from Linhir would often use that paste and trick people into thinking it has magical healing powers that could cure blindness, but con artists stopped when they conned Rezo the Red Priest into buying some. They con artists paid with their lives when Rezo recognized the smell to be that of the rare Green Taisen flower. Alexandria was walking by a patch of those flowers when there was noise coming from some bushes just down the road.  
Chris and Alexandria halted and listened for anymore sounds. For nearly a two minutes they stood motionless in the scenery of green when Alexandria grew impatient. Slowly, bent over and picked up a rock from the ground. Chris knew what she was planing. He placed his hand on his dagger that he kept at his side and waited. Alexandria got into a pitcher's stance, nodded to Chris, and threw the rock as hard as she could into the bushes ahead. Chris gripped the hilt of his dagger and pulled it halfway out of its sheath.   
At first, there was nothing, but soon the bush moved again and out came a very angry and very big ogre. The ogre rubbed its forehead where the rock hit him and then growled. Chris and Alexandria just stared at it. Then, just as Alexandria grabbed the hilt of her sword, the troll let out a loud wail and charged at the two. Alexandria tried to pull her sword out, but was too slow. The troll was already within an arms reach of her. Chris quickly pulled out his dagger, threw it at the ogre's head with great speed and struck it in between the eyes. The ogre didn't move for what seemed like forever, and when it finally fell it made a loud THUMP sound. "Nice shot," said Alexandria, putting the blade back into its sheath.   
Chris walked over to the ogre and pulled the dagger from its head. "What would an ogre be doing in these parts?" said Chris as he wiped the blade off with a handkerchief. "I know what you mean," said Alexandria, "I thought that the smell of the Green Taisen is supposed to drive ogres away." A cold breeze blew through the forest, blowing leaves everywhere. "What the hell is this!?" shouted Alexandria. Through the howling of the wind they heard a small noise that was getting louder every second. Chris covered his eyes to keep out leaves and dirt. "What's that noise?" asked Chris. "Someone's laughing," replied Alexandria, "and I don't think whoever it belongs to is friendly."   
The wind blew stronger and colder. Chris hasn't been this cold in a long time. Alexandria was practically a popsicle. I can't feel my body, she thought. Just then, the wind stopped. Alexandria quickly started rubbing her body, trying to get warm. "Looks like we've got more company, Alex," said Chris with a smirk on his face. Alexandria quit rubbing her body and noticed that standing in front of them was a man with dark hair, dark eyes, and dark armor. Alexandria grew angry. "Are you the one who caused that incident with the wind?" she asked, already knowing the answer. The man paid no attention to her. Instead, all he was doing was staring at Chris. Chris also stared back with unblinking eyes. "Hey!" shouted Alexandria, "are you listening to me!?" The man in armor shifted his eyes to her. They seemed to pierce right through her soul. She was afraid, but didn't know why. The man in armor smiled. "You must be Alexandria," said the man, "I've heard a great deal about you. For your name is almost as despised among our kind as Lina Inverse and your little friend here." Chris became furious. "What are you getting at?" asked Alexandria, her arms at on her hips. The man laughed. "I'm here to give you fair warning," said the man. "Stop your search for the Galleon of Gold, or you will be marked enemies of the monster race." The man in armor slowly began to rise from the ground. "I get it," said Alexandria, "you're some cheap messenger for the monster race, am I right?" Chris smiled, but the man in armor was insulted.   
"A messenger!?" he shouted. "You dare to call me a messenger? I am Dynast Grausherra. Dark Lord of the North." Alexandria thought she was having a nightmare. Did he say he was Dynast Grausherra? she thought. Oh god! This is the end. Chris stepped forward. "Just leave us be, Dynast," he said. "The Galleon of Gold does not concern you." "And it doesn't concern you either, Lord Woodsmaster," said Dynast, "and yet you are headed in that direction as well." Chris gripped the hilt of his dagger tighter. "Now I'm only going to say this once," continued Dynast. "Stop your search, or both of you will die."   
The wind picked up again and blew even harder than before and when it stopped, Dynast was gone. Chris just squeezed on the hilt of his dagger harder. I never thought I'd see him again, he thought, and put the dagger back in its sheath. Alexandria had no idea what they were talking about, but she knew there was more to Chris that she had thought. 


	13. While waiting for food

Chapter thirteen: While waiting for food…  
  
"LINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Gourry bust into the ladies bath and there were loud screams everywhere. "Lina!" shouted Gourry, "Where are you Lina!?" A small stool flew across the room and struck Gourry on the head. "GET OUT GOURRY!!!," yelled Lina. Her voice could be heard though out the whole bathhouse. Gourry rubbed his head and looked at Lina. She was wrapped in a pink towel with little flowers on it. He, on the other hand, was wearing nothing and he didn't seem to notice. "Lina," said Gourry, moving closer, "you gotta come with me to the men's bath. The bath has frozen." Naga and Amelia showed up quickly to see what was going on. "What's wrong, Lina?" asked Naga, but she soon realized what caused the ruckus. A grin grew on Naga's face. "Now I now why you always travel with him," said Naga. Amelia was awestruck. "Mr. Gourry," she said, "you've got really strong abs." All the other girls who heard what she said stared at her, but only for a second, then they went back to Gourry.  
  
Lina couldn't believe it. It's been turned into ice, she thought as she moved closer. Lina bent over and touched the ice. It was so cold that she took her hand off the right after she touched it. She stood up and turned to Gourry. "What exactly happened here?" she asked Gourry. "I don't really know," he replied, "Someone who sat next to me got out and then I noticed that the spot that he was sitting in was ice cold. All that's left of him is his towel." Gourry tossed the towel Dias used to Lina. When she caught it she also noticed the frost. Lina tossed the towel on the ground and ran back to the woman's bath. She soon returned fully dressed and wearing the magic talismans she received from Xellos. The others remained silent, their eyes were fixed on Lina.  
She walked up to the bath and placed her hands in front of her. I'm glad there weren't any people in this bath when it froze, thought Lina and began to cast some sort of spell under her breath. Little balls of fire showed up around Lina, one after another. Is she casting a Flare Bit? thought Naga. She tried harder to hear what Lina was saying. Wait, Naga tried harder then she was overcome with fear. "She's casting a Blast Bomb!" shouted Naga. "What!?!" yelled Amelia, "We won't be able to escape the blast in time." Naga began to chant a spell faster than the normal pace. Amelia recognized the spell and joined her sister in casting a… "Flare Seal!!!" shouted Naga and Amelia. "Blast Bomb!!" shouted Lina. There was a blinding light followed by a deafening explosion.  
  
A block in all directions was totally covered in flame and smoke. A cool breeze blew enough smoke away so that Naga, Amelia, and Gourry could see Lina standing motionless. Naga walked over to Lina, getting ready to hit her. "What on earth do you think you were doing, Lina?" asked Naga as she began to lift her left arm up. Lina didn't say anything, instead, she pointed at the bath. That filled Naga with even more fear than when Lina cast a Blast Bomb. "It's…it's still frozen," said Naga, her eyes were as big as they could get, "but that would mean…" Lina nodded. There was a long silence that was broken by Gourry. "Shouldn't we get out of here?" he said. "If the town guards were to find us here we'd be put in prison, again." Lina sighed. "He's right," she said, "let's go."  
  
They walked over to a diner at the other end of town, where they had a conversation that made at this whole Galleon of Gold journey seem less appealing. "Hello, I'm Johnny. I'll be your waiter tonight," said a waiter, "May I take your orders?" "We're not really hungry," said Lina, "so we'll just take twenty servings of the special." "Did you say you wanted twenty servings?" asked Johnny. "Did I say twenty?" said Lina. "I meant sixty." Johnny nearly fainted, but went over to the kitchen to with their orders.   
"I don't get it," said Gourry. That's nothing new, thought Lina. "How come the ice didn't melt when Lina casted that Flask Momb spell?" Lina and Naga both sighed. "Do you think he'd understand if we told him, Lina?" asked Naga while rubbing her eyes. "There's no harm in trying," replied Lina. "You see, Gourry, the reason the ice didn't melt was because it wasn't ordinary ice." Gourry nodded his head. "The ice that was in the bathhouse was Ettenmar Ice," continued Lina. "Ettenmar Ice, which is found in great abundance in the far north, is the coldest substance in the universe. Not even the most powerful fire spell can melt it. The ability to create that substance is only known by two creatures of immense power: The Water-Dragon King (who was destroyed by Gaav), and Lord Dynast Grausherra." Gourry's suddenly grew large. "Does this mean the Water-Dragon King is back from the dead?" asked Gourry.  
Lina, Naga, and Amelia almost fainted. "No, you jellyfish-brained moron!" shouted Lina. "It means that Dynast Grausherra, Dark Lord of the North, is trying to keep us from reaching the Galleon of Gold." "It looks like we're in for an early winter, Miss Lina," said Amelia, who was covered in goose bumps. "Let's just hope Lord Beastmaster can help," said Naga. "First thing in the morning," said Lina, "we find a ship to that will take us to Wolfpac Island." "That's easy for you to say, Lina," said Naga, "but you're forgetting one thing: where in Linhir are we going to find someone with the guts take us to Wolfpac?" "I guess we just have to look around," replied Lina. Everyone was in a gloomy mood, until the food came. They returned to their inn late that night with stomachs full of food, and minds full of thought. Well, I guess you could include Gourry in the food part. 


	14. The Truth

Chapter fourteen: The truth.  
  
It was night for some time. Alexandria and Chris had just finished a their late dinner. Because of their new friend all their food was frozen and took forever to defrost. They exchanged small talk every now and then, but nothing more. They still felt very awkward about the new way they saw each other. After the clean up, Alexandria's urge to ask was unbearable. She had to know the truth. They sat in front of the fire. Not saying anything, not moving. Just looking at the crimson flames until Alexandria finally asked him. "Is it true about what he said?" she asked. "Are you really infamous among the monster race?"   
Chris sighed. He knew he'd have to tell her about his past one day, but he never thought it would be today. "Yes," he said at last. "I am the most hated among the entire monster race." Alexandria didn't like it. Her best friend, her only friend, was hiding things from her. "Why haven't you told me?" asked Alexandria, her voice was full of curiosity as well as anger. "I thought we were best friends. I thought we weren't supposed to hide anything from each other." Chris grew annoyed. "This is not just anything, Alex," said Chris, "this is far more than you could possibly comprehend."   
"And why not? Is it because I'm a girl?"  
"No…It's because you're human."  
Human? she thought. What does that have anything to do with… She suddenly realized it. "You're not human, are you?" she said, her eyes stopped blinking. Chris let out another sigh. "No," he said with his eyes closed. "No, I'm not. I am a member of the monster race." Now the tears began to flow. "You're right," she said. "I wish I'd never asked." Alexandria wiped some of the tears away, but more came to take their place. Once they started to die down she spoke again. "Now that I know," she said, "I'd like to know the rest. Why are you so infamous?" This time there was no sigh. Chris took in one deep breath and began to speak.  
"It all started a little over a thousand years ago. It was during the time of the War of the Monster's Fall. Back then I was known as Lord Woodsmaster, Dark Lord of the forests. I was the sixth of the monsters Lord Shabranigdo had made. During the war I was assigned to patrol the forests around the Katato Mountains for Dragons in hiding. After scouring the area several times I discovered a small group of black dragons that were in human form hiding behind some rocks. I was getting ready to take care of them when I felt a presence of immense power behind me. I turned around and there was the Water-Dragon King in human form.   
"I couldn't move. His power was so immense that I wouldn't even stand a chance against him in a battle. He just stared at me. His eyes are what changed me. They were caring and full of love. Even though he knew how many of his kind I've brutally killed without mercy he still looked at me with those eyes. He put his hands on my shoulders and I felt a surge of emotions going through me. And something happened that I couldn't believe. 'I forgive you,' he said. 'I know that your mind has been corrupted by evil. I shall rid you of your darkness and bring you into the light.' His eyes shined white and pierced my heart and soul. I felt like I was being relieved of a great burden. A part of me tried hard to resist, but it was useless. The evil that flowed through my veins began to disappear and I felt free. The Water-Dragon King took his hands off my shoulders and turned towards the battlefield. I looked and saw Shabranigdo staring back at me. He let out a blood-curdling growl. 'Traitor!!' he yelled. 'How dare you allow yourself to be changed. I shall destroy you for your insolence.'   
"Shabranigdo opened his mouth and blasted a crimson red beam of power at me. I thought it was the end for me when all-of-a-sudden, the Water-Dragon King cast a protection spell around me that absorbed the beam. 'I will not let you destroy him,' said the Water-Dragon King. 'He deserves a chance to live a free life without having to follow orders from you, or anyone else.' Shabranigdo looked at me with his ruby eyes. 'You will regret this day, Christopher,' he said. 'You are now labeled a traitor of the monster race.' There was a blinding flash of light and the Water-Dragon King and Shabranigdo were locked in a fierce battle that I witnessed from afar.  
"Once the war was over, I wondered the lands in search for something to be worth living for. When the War of the Monster's Resurrection began I took up arms against my own people. Until then, a monster fighting against his own was unheard of and I was despised by all. Many tried to kill me, but were unsuccessful. I managed to help win the war by striking down Lord Hellmaster's his general and his priest. After the war, the monsters didn't want anything to do with me. They torched libraries, churches, anything that liked me with the monster race. That's why everyone thinks there were only five monsters created by Shabranigdo. All the text containing information on me was destroyed, but my name would never be forgotten. In honor of my bravery, humans named their kids after me.   
"Even though I became a hero to the humans, I still never found anything worth living for. I wandered aimlessly throughout the lands, looking for my reason for being. Then I met you." Chris turned to Alexandria and began to tear up. "When I met you three years ago while you were lost in the woods, I felt something. The feeling I felt reminded me of the Water-Dragon King's eyes, but it was something much deeper. As I got to know you better, I soon realized that I found something worth living for. I wanted to live so that I can see your face once more. So I could be with you for as long as possible. But I was afraid that if you knew about my past you'd leave me and that I'd lose the one thing that I thought was worth living for…worth fighting for. So I decided that I would not tell you until the right time. But I guess that plan didn't work out so well."  
Chris wiped away some of his tears. "What I mean to say is," he continued, "I didn't want to tell you because I loved you too much. And if you left there'd be an empty hole inside that would never be filled because you're the one, the only one, who I love and will ever love." Chris looked at Alexandria with a smile on his face and a few tears in his eyes. He put a hand on Alexandria's shoulder. She saw the hand on her shoulder and shook it off. Quickly, Alexandria raised her hand and slapped Chris across the face. "You Bastard!" she yelled, standing up. "Do you think I'll forgive you after lying to me. After all the years we've known each other you never lied to me, you always gave me the truth. And that's why I fell in love with you. But now, I realize that I've been living a lie; an empty life that was built on lies. You're not the man I loved. The man who I fell in love with was kind, gentle, and always told the truth. I'll never forgive you for taking him away from me. NEVER!!!" Tears rolled down the Alexandria's face. Chris literally felt his heart break.   
Without even a second thought, or a good-bye, Alexandria grabbed all of her stuff and walked out into the darkness of the forest. Chris was all alone. He began to cry uncontrollably. Why did I have to tell her? he thought. Now I've lost her forever. He cried even harder, for he now had lost the person he loved and felt like he was about to lose his mind. In the shadows lurked Dynast, who was watching the whole thing. Just as I planned, he thought. That's what you get for betraying the monster race. 


	15. The Search for a Boat

Chapter fifteen: The Search for a Boat  
  
"How many boats have we tried so far, Miss Lina," asked Amelia as she strolled along the waterfront. "I lost count after thirty-five," replied Lina. "There seems to be no ship here that would take us to Wolfpac Island. If only there was a sign of some kind." Gourry looked around for this sign Lina was looking for, and oddly enough, he found one. "Look over there Lina," said Gourry, pointing to a sign on the side of a building that said "BOAT TO WOLFPAC ISLAND LEAVING TODAY AT 3:45 PM AT PIER 19." Lina was amazed. She asked for a sign and she got one.  
"Wow," said Naga, "what excellent timing, too. We have twenty five minutes to get to a pier that's just around the corner." "But what if it's a fake, Gracia?" asked Amelia. "It's not a fake," said Naga, "look just below it." Amelia looked back at the sign and saw some really small letter at the bottom that said "If you run into any trouble, just tell them Xellos sent you. And make sure Gourry doesn't get on the wrong boat. I'll be waiting." Amelia was satisfied. "Alright," said Lina, "Let's get on that boat."  
The gang marched cheerily around the corner. The image of gold was dancing through Lina's mind. So much so that she wasn't watching were she was going and bumped into someone, and that someone was Alexandria. "OW!" said Lina, "watch where you're going." "Me watch where I'm going!?" said Alexandria, lying on the floor. "I was just standing still and you walked into me. Now I dropped all my things." Alexandria gathered all of her things on the ground. "Here," said Naga, "let me help." Naga helped Alexandria pick up her things when she came upon a certain piece of paper. "What the heck!?!" she shouted. "AH!" said Alexandria as she snatched the paper. "Th…this is a little drawing I made." Naga locked her eyes on Alexandria. "Something you drew, huh?" she said as she got up. "It's funny of you to say that, because I happen to have lost something that looked just like that recently. Where did you get that, little girl?" Uh-oh, thought Alexandria, that guy's story must've been true. He did steal it from a bimbo. "I uh.." said Alexandria. Naga stepped closer. "What's your name, little girl?" asked Naga, bending down. "A…Alexandria," she said at last. "Well," said Naga, "I'd like my map back, Alexandria." Alexandria didn't have any intention of giving the map away without a fight. "NO!" she yelled. "You can't have it."   
Naga grew angry. "Why you little, brat," she said, "where did you get it anyway?" "Let it be, Naga," said Lina, putting a hand on Naga's shoulder. "We already have a path to get to the galleon. Why should you waste our time by getting that map that might've killed us in the first place?" She's right, thought Naga. "C'mon guys," said Gourry, "that boat to Wolfpac Island won't wait forever." Lina and Naga became furious. "You idiot!" yelled Lina. "You've gave away our path to galleon!" Wolfpac Island? thought Alexandria. How would that get them to the galleon? If it involves Wolfpac Island then it involves Lord Beastmaster. If I follow them I may be able to get some very rare artifacts that I could sell for a fortune. Alexandria stood up. "Please," she said, "take me with you." They looked at Alexandria with suspicious eyes. "Why should we?" asked Naga. "It's kinda hard to split the money five ways." "Four ways!" corrected Lina. Alexandria grew nervous. "I-I won't ask for much," she said, "just a handful of gold will be enough." Amelia looked at Alexandria's face. She looks like she's been crying for sometime, she thought. "Miss Lina," said Amelia, "I think we should let her come with us." "Fine," said Lina, "If she just wants a handful of gold it doesn't bother me." "Hey!" shouted Naga, "don't I get any say in it?" Alexandria was delighted. Now I won't be alone, she thought. At least they're better companions than Chris. Suddenly, Alexandria's heart sank.  
  
At Pier 19 they didn't see many boats. In fact, they only saw one boat, and it was a beauty. The name on the side was "Aqua Tamer™." Lina and the others approached the boat a little hesitantly. "This can't be a boat that goes to Wolfpac Island," said Amelia. "It's too nice." "There's only one way to find out," said Lina. Out on the dock next to the boat was a well-rounded, middle-aged man with light brown hair and a mustache. "Hey, 'pops,'" said Lina as she walked up to the man. "Is this boat headed to Wolfpac Island?" The man grew delighted. "Ah, you must be Lina Inverse," he said. "I've been expecting you.." The man held out his hand with a friendly gesture. "The name's Garland," he said, "Charles Garland. I'm the captain of this here boat." "It's a pleasure to meet you," said Lina, taking his hand. The shook hands for a second and then returned them to their sides. Amelia stepped forward. "Excuse me Mister Garland," she said. "Yes, little girl?" he asked. "How did you know Miss Lina," said Amelia, "and why is your ship so nice?" "Well," replied Charles, "I was told by Xellos that Lina would be short with red hair, and the smallest chest I'd ever seen." "WHAT WAS THAT!?" shouted Lina. "That's just what I was told, miss," said Charles. "Anyway, about the boat, it is the most important vessel owned by the company I work for." "And what company do you work for?" asked Naga. "Linhir's Liquor and Cigarette Company," replied Charles. "We ship our finest liquor and cigarettes to Wolfpac Island for Lord Beastmaster. The money we receive from her makes up eighty-three percent of our profits. She's even been so kind as to put a spell on this ship that will allow it to sail the seas quickly and with the finest weather imaginable." "She sounds nice," said Gourry. "Well, she is," said Charles, "to an extent. Now Deep-Sea Dolphin is nice. Although she's a little bit messed up in the head. Whenever we deliver a shipment to her she, always gives us the nicest things and always smiles."   
Lina grew interested. "You know Deep-Sea Dolphin?" asked Lina. "Of course," said Charles, "She makes up fifteen percent of our profits. I've never seen her get angry or anything. This whole Galleon of Gold thing has really got me confused. I mean, the Lord Deep-Sea in the story doesn't even sound like the one I know. I think there's more to it than there seems. Well, enough of my babbling. Lets get you kids on board." Without a hesitating, Lina and the others got on board the "Aqua Tamer™" and were soon on their way to Wolfpac Island. 'More to it than there seems,' eh? thought Lina. What have we gotten ourselves into? 


	16. Devil in a Blue Dress

Chapter sixteen: Devil in a Blue Dress  
  
Deep in the middle of the Demon Sea, on a small island known only by few, lies Lord Deep-Sea Dolphin. The terrible monster that causes terrible storms, ship wreaks, and things far more worse. But today she just sits at home thinking about what she's going to be doing in the next couple of days. Hm…thought Dolphin, how should I greet them once they make it to the galleon? I got it! Dolphin reached for a piece of paper and a feather pen and began to write. "Perfect," she said. "This'll totally scare the pants off of them. When they arrive I'll say 'I am Deep-Sea Dolphin, Lord of the Seas. Want some freshly baked cookies?' Hahahahaha!!! I'm an evil genius!" "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," said a voice out of nowhere. Dynast materialized in front of Dolphin with an irritated look on his face. "What do you expect to accomplish by giving them cookies?" he asked. "Well," said Dolphin, "I know I'm evil, but I don't have to be rude. They'd be my guests after all, and I want to be a good hostess for them." Dynast became even more irritated. "Why don't you just kill them, or at least torture them until they beg for death?" asked Dynast. "Good heavens, no!" said Dolphin, "I'm evil, not cruel. What you're talking about doing is just plain mean." "I think I'm about the get a headache," said Dynast as he sat down on a chair.  
Time passed by and Dolphin was writing some stuff down. "Do you have anything good yet?" asked Dynast, who was growing impatient. "Yup," said Dolphin. "How do you like this? 'I am the Dark Lord Deep-Sea Dolphin and I will make you all fall down!'" "No, no, NO!!" shouted Dynast. "Do I have to write your lines again, just like I did when you first cursed the galleon?" "No," said Dolphin, "I'm a big girl. I can do it all by myself." "Like hell you can," said Dynast. "I mean, even the Forest-Imps on this island who have no spoken language what so ever are able to make grunting sounds that are more intimidating and frightening than that trash you write." Cursed Forest-Imps, thought Dolphin, you've been a thorn in my side for far too long. "Anyway," said Dynast, "I've taken care of Chris. His spirit and will to live have been shattered. He is no longer a threat. Now all that we have to do is make the trip to the galleon more intriguing for the others." "Is that so?" said Dolphin, as she put the paper down. "I still don't know why you wanted me to curse that galleon anyway," she said. "You'll know soon enough," said Dynast. "But first we have to find a way to make sure that those pests want to go after that galleon even more. So, lets think."  
"I like shiny things."  
"Correction. I'll think."   
And so the two super powers of the world begin to devise a plan to get rid of Lina Inverse and her friends once and for all. 


	17. Wolfpac, Dead Ahead!

Chapter seventeen: Wolfpac, dead ahead  
  
It's been two days since they set out from the port of Linhir to Wolfpac Island, and the gang was getting restless. Down in the guests quarters, Lina, Naga, and Alexandria were relaxing on their beds and having a meaningful chat. "So," said Lina, "when I get my hands on that gold I'm going to buy a huge company that makes a product that everyone needs like…" "Clothes?" asked Naga. "That's right, clothes," said Lina. "Anyway, I'll just buy a company like that, then buy a whole bunch of other companies and make some kind of monopoly and become even richer." Lina just stared-off into space with a huge smile for what seemed like hours.  
"Forget about her," said Naga. "What are you going to do with your handful of gold, Alex?" Alexandria became furious. "DON'T CALL ME ALEX!!!" she yelled. Naga froze and Lina's trip through space was cut short. I don't want anyone to call me "Alex", she thought. That's what HE called me. "Are you alright?" asked Lina. "Why can't we call you that?" Alexandria calmed down a bit. "I…I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that I got out of a serious relationship recently and the guy I was with used to call me 'Alex.'" Alexandria began to tear up. "I'm sorry," she said again and started to cry. This guy must've been really important to her, thought Lina. She's crying harder than I do when I think about that five thousand I could've received if I had a fake marriage to that one rich kid… Lina began to tear up, but didn't cry. Naga walked over Alexandria and sat next to her. "Don't let the past get you down," said Naga, putting an arm around Alexandria's shoulder. "You've got to move on. It was probably for the best." Alexandria slowly stopped crying. "You're right," she said. "I guess it was for the best."  
  
Up on the deck, Gourry and Amelia were enjoying the cool ocean breeze and probably the most beautiful sunset they'd ever seen. "Isn't this wonderful, Mister Gourry?" asked Amelia. "It sure is," he replied. "What more could we possibly ask for than this?" Amelia nodded and watched the sun set a bit more. It was a beautiful mix of crimson and orange-yellow that turned the horizon hot pink and purple. Amelia had never felt so at peace in her life, but that feeling didn't last for long. Far off into the horizon, Amelia saw a small flicker of light. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at it. Just as she did that it disappeared and the ocean began to shine white. Amelia's eyes widened with fear. "Mister Gourry, look out!" she cried. The "white water" moved incredibly fast towards the ship. When it came in contact with the hull the ship halted in the water, shaking everything and everyone onboard.   
Amelia looked overboard and was shocked at what she saw. "Mister Gourry!" she said, "that's ice down there." Gourry looked at the water. "Whoa!" he said, "that's a lot of ice." Charles came running up from below. "What happened?" he asked, "Why have we stopped moving?" "It appears that we've struck ice, captain," said the man at he helm. "Ice?" said Charles. "That's impossible. We're all the way out in the tropics." Charles looked over the side of his ship and became pale. "By the unholy had of LON!" cried Charles. "That be Ettenmar Ice. What would Dynast Grausherra have against us?"   
Lina, Naga, and Alexandria came up. "What's going on?" asked Naga. Lina gasped. "More Ettenmar Ice!?" she said. "Dynast must really not want us to make it to that galleon. Which means there must be something of extreme importance inside the holds of that ship." Charles walked away from the side of the ship. "Not to worry," he said, "we've got a back-up plan for this kind of situation." Charles snapped his fingers and a dimensional fold opened in front of him. "Just walk through here and you'll be on Wolfpac Island's harbor," said Charles. "Now I'm only allowing you to use this because I want you to get revenge for what Dynast has done to my ship." Lina raised her left eyebrow. "Wait a minute," she said. "If you could've done that all along, why did we have to ride this boat?" "The dimensional fold is only for emergencies," replied Charles, "not going from one point to another at will. Now come on, I don't have all day y'know." Everyone walked inside the dimensional fold and it closed behind them. Finally they're gone, thought Charles. If they stayed on board any longer we would've run completely out of food. "Alright, Hal!" yelled Charles, "hit the ignition switch."  
The man at the helm pushed a button next to the wheel. The ship began to shake and slowly rise off the ground. Then, without a breeze, the ship began to move at incredible speed on its original course to Wolfpac Island. All in a day's work for the crew of the "Aqua Tamer™." 


	18. Golem 13

Chapter eighteen: Golem 1/3  
  
When Lina and the others came out the other end of the dimensional fold they found themselves on a wooden structure that appeared to be a dock. Behind them was the Demon Sea and in front was something they weren't expecting. It was a beautiful island, covered with palm trees, exotic plants, and animals. Like a tropical rain forest, only smaller. And beyond the vegetation were huge mountains that seemed to touch the clouds. "What a pretty place," said Amelia who was awe struck at the beauty of the island. "This can't be Wolfpac Island," said Naga, "it's too…too…" "Nice?" said a voice that seemed to come from every direction. "Xellos!?" said Lina. "Quit playing around and show yourself." "Very well," said Xellos, and sure enough, he materialized in front of the group. Naga and Alexandria jumped back. "HOLY CRAP!" shouted Naga. "You scared the hell out of me!" "Same here," added Alexandria.   
"Oh, forgive me," said Xellos, "for that was not my intention at all. I only came here to welcome you to the island. You arrived much sooner than was expected." Xellos looked around the group. "Where's the ship?" he asked. "We hit a little snag," said Lina. "The ship was nearly capsized by a bunch of Ettenmar Ice. I think Lord Dynast Grausherra doesn't want us to get close to that galleon." "You don't say…" said Xellos who seemed unalarmed. "Hey, Xellos," said Gourry.  
"Yes, Gourry?"  
"Why is this island so nice?"  
"Monsters aren't all evil and darkness. We have soft sides as well. Lord Beastmaster, for instance, enjoys the sight of dense jungle vegetation while she sips a martini, or chugs a gallon and a half of pure saké."  
"Cut the small talk, Xellos," said Lina, butting into the conversation. "Standing on this dock all day isn't going to make my change purse and fatter. We would like to see Lord Beastmaster as soon as possible." Lina gave Xellos a stern look. Nothing was spoken for a few seconds. "Indeed," said Xellos. "Follow me then." Xellos began to walk towards the island. The others followed at a steady pace and made sure not to fall behind or get in front of Xellos. Alexandria was at the back and didn't want to be anywhere near Xellos. I can't believe these people would socialize with a monster, thought Alexandria. They're nothing but liars.  
Xellos led them through the dense jungle for about an hour and a half. It was getting very dark in the forest. Amelia looked through the trees as she walked behind Gourry and thought she saw eyes staring at her. And not all the eyes were animal eyes. Some resembled insects and spiders far larger than the size she was used to. One pair of eyes that she saw glowed bright red. Terrified, Amelia looked forward and nowhere else for the rest of the hike.   
It was pitch black now, and there was no light except for the glowing eyes that lurked in the jungle. Aww hell…thought Lina, how far are we going to walk? I can hardly see Xellos. I'd better cast a lighting spell. "Light which burns beyond crimson flame…" muttered Lina, under her breath. Almost simultaneously, Xellos tapped the bottom of his staff on the jungle ground and the jewel on the top of it shined bright red, lighting up the forest for several meters. "Gee, thanks," said Lina. "What is that jewel on your staff, anyway?" Not slowing down his pace, nor stopping, Xellos replied. "It is a heart of a Golden Dragon," he said, "it shines with the color of life." "Blood?" asked Lina. "Yes," answered Xellos. "The heart of a Golden Dragon is so powerful that can shine for all eternity and never stop without certain spells." They continued to march through the jungle, guided by Xellos's light until they reached the foot of the mountains.  
"OH MY GOD!?!" shouted Lina when she finally cleared the jungle and got her first up-close view of the mountains. That night, the moon shined bright in the sky, giving off enough light to make the mountains glow. From where they were several hours ago, the mountains looked like they reached the clouds. Now, in the light of the moon, they looked as if they pierced the heavens. When everyone else was clear of the dense jungle, they hardly had time to marvel at the spectacle that was the Mountains of Wolfpac. "Hurry up!" cried Xellos, "we shouldn't keep Lord Beastmaster waiting any longer than we have to." Tired and hungry, the gang moved on and followed Xellos into a large cave in the mountainside.   
The cave seemed to go on forever. After an hour of walking, Lina made a stand. "That does it," she said, "I refuse to move until we eat." Everyone nodded their heads to that. "Lord Beastmaster has scheduled a banquet for all of you before you have to meet her," said Xellos. "The faster you move, the sooner you get to eat." Everyone stopped complaining and began to trudge deeper into the cave. Another hour later they came upon two huge doors. In between the two doors was a small circle. "Welcome to the Doors of Lord Beastmaster's lair," said Xellos. "They're so big," said Amelia. "They're not that big," said Alexandria. "The ones at in the Cave of Laurien were a lot bigger." "The Cave of Laurien?" said Naga. "That cave is supposed to be filled with some of the most powerful orcs in the inner world. How did you ever make it out of their alive?" "I wasn't alone," replied Alexandria, "Chris was with me." At the mention of the name "Chris," Xellos quickly looked at Alexandria. Alexandria began to tear up, again. So that's the girl, thought Xellos. She could be of some use to us later.   
"Hey, Xellos!" shouted Lina, "open the door so we could eat." "Food, Food," chanted Gourry. "Whatever you say," said Xellos. He placed his staff in the center of the circle and began to chant in a language that none of the others could understand:  
  
  
  
"Annon edro, edhellenas beth lammen! Lasto feninas, nogothrim hi!"  
  
The circle vanished, and the doors began to open. When the opening was big enough, Lina ran inside. "FOOD, FOOD, FOO…" she screamed, but soon silenced at the sight of an empty room. "Hey, Xellos," said Lina, "what gives? You said there'd be food." Xellos smiled. "Of course there's food," said Xellos, "just not here." "We don't have to walk anymore, do we?" asked Gourry. "Not at all," answered Xellos. "Everyone just gather around me and you'll be eating within moments.   
Slowly, the gang did as they were told and gathered around Xellos. "Now," said Xellos, "we should walk down in that direction for three more hours until we reach the a flight of stairs that leads to the top of the mountain." Everyone's jaws dropped. "After we climb those stairs to the top," continued Xellos, "we will climb down the mountain side until we reach the entrance to the dining room. Then it's a two day walk to the table." There was an uncomfortable silence when Xellos finished his instructions. "Just kidding," he added, and tapped the bottom of his staff on the ground three times.   
All of them were engulfed in a white light. It was a new experience for them all. They could look directly into the light and not need to squint. When the light vanished, they were in a large dining room which looked like the kind you'd see in the most richest palace, and in front was a large table covered with a large amount of food. And sitting in one of the chairs on the left side of the table was someone Lina, Gourry, and Amelia knew all too well.  
"Zelgadis!?!" shouted Lina.  
"Zel?" said Gourry.  
"Mister Zelgadis?" said Amelia  
Zelgadis smiled. "So you've finally made it," he said, smiling. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" 


	19. The Plan

Chapter nineteen: The plan.  
  
Gorgeous, thought Dolphin as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a deep-blue, one-piece bikini, a silver belt made of rings, and a sky blue cape. The old villain outfit still fits after all these years. The last time I wore it was at the War of the Monster's Fall. That's when slipped and bumped my head on that thingy that was made of hard stuff. Dynast came up from behind. "What are you doing?" he asked with a perplexed look on his face. "Eeeek!!!" screamed Dolphin, "why are you in here?" Dynast sighed and rubbed his head. "You told me that you were going to work on a plan," he said, "and I catch you looking into a mirror. If I hadn't come you probably would've kept staring into it for all eternity." "Well, Soorrrrry," said Dolphin, "I have what people call a short attention spa…HEY SOMETHING SHINEY!" Dolphin walked over to a table covered in papers and grabbed a silver paperweight. Dynast was full of embarrassment while Dolphin was glowing with happiness.   
"Look," said Dynast, "did you finish the plan you were going to make, or not?" "Of course I did," replied Dolphin. She grabbed a piece of paper on the table. "Here it is," she said, showing the paper to Dynast. Dynast read the bold header and nearly collapsed. It said "MY PLAN TO GET RID OF THE FOREST-IMPS." "What do you think?" asked Dolphin with a big smile on her face. "If it involves setting fire to the forest then it's stupid," he replied, a vein was pulsating in his right temple. "But I was up all night working on it," said Dolphin, frowning. Dynast sighed deeply. "I know I'll probably regret this, but why are you even worried about those Forest-Imps, anyway?" asked Dynast. "Those danged Forest-Imps are just so proud of themselves!" replied Dolphin, her voice full of anger. "So very proud of their clever little group tactics which make up for the fact that individually they are among the weakest creatures in all the world." Dolphin waved her hand and an image of small people wearing rags walking around a wooded area appeared before them. "Lookit'em!" continued Dolphin, "Just walkin' around with those damn, dirty hands and beady little eyes and their warped sense of mortality! BAH!" Dolphin waved out the image of the Forest-Imps. "Plus, I think one of those punks broke my front window, but I can't prove it," added Dolphin. "You're supposed to be working on a plan to not allow those humans the leave that boat!" shouted Dynast. "I thought it was a galleon," said Dolphin. "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" yelled Dynast in a fit of rage. "Can't you be serious for one second?" "But what about the Forest-Imps?" asked Dolphin. "Forget about them, already!" yelled Dynast. "Well, I'm not going to pay for that window," said Dolphin. Dynast couldn't take anymore of it. "All I want is for you to come up with a plan that will keep those humans on that boat forever!" he shouted. "Is that so hard to do?"   
Dolphin became confused. "Why should I make a plan to keep them on the boat when it is already impossible to leave?" asked Dolphin. Dynast raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Well," replied Dolphin, "if they got on the ship by boat they'd never be able to leave because if they jumped overboard they would be dragged to the bottom by sea monsters that I had follow the boat. And if they knew how to fly it wouldn't do them any good because the boat is beyond flying distance from Ark Island. That curse that I put on that ship along time ago only allows dimensional folds to let people on the ship and not let them off. If they were skilled warriors and or sorcerers they wouldn't be able to get rid of the crew without great difficulty. And it would take more power than we posses to make them want to leave all that gold." Dynast felt stupid. "I was a fool for doubting you," said Dynast. "Why didn't you tell me about that stuff earlier?" "Why should I have?" asked Dolphin, "It was all your idea to begin with. You made all the calculations and other gibberish before we cursed it. All I was supposed to do was follow your instructions." Dynast froze in his place. "Are you okay, Dynast?" asked Dolphin, waving her hand in front of his unblinking eyes. 


	20. The Meeting

Chapter twenty: The meeting.  
  
"It's been a while," said Lina who was stuffing her face with stuffing (I made a pun ^_^), "hasn't it, Zel?" Zelgadis sipped at his cup of tea. "It has," he replied, "but our paths always to cross quite frequently." Zelgadis sipped more tea. "Why are you here, Zel?" asked Gourry, his mouth full of the best pork yakisoba he'd ever eaten. Zelgadis placed his cup of tea on the table. "I'm here for the same reason you are," he said. "I too am searching for the legendary Galleon of Gold." Naga looked sharply at Zelgadis. This is just perfect, she thought, now there'll be less gold for me. Naga slowed down her eating pace and kept her eyes glued on Zelgadis. "Why are you searching for the galleon, Mister Zelgadis?" asked Amelia, already on her third serving of fried chicken…a whole fried chicken. "For a cure," answered Zelgadis. "I heard a rumor from a man in black armor that there was supposed to be a Mirror of Cures. If I look into it, I should be able to find the cure for my condition. Then I ran into Xellos who told me that Lord Beastmaster could help me find the galleon" Amelia began to grow sad. If he finds his cure, she thought, there may be a chance that I'll never see him again.   
Naga laughed. "Hooo ho ho ho hoooo!!!! Is that all you want from the mountains of treasure in the Galleon of Gold?" she said. "Um, Gracia," said Amelia, "could you please not laugh like that. It reminds me too much of mother." Naga was immediately silenced. "And what, may I ask, is wrong with wanting a cure for my appearance?" asked Zelgadis, he was starting to grow angry. "For years, I've had to live with this…this face!" All food intake had ceased. Everyone was looking at Zelgadis. "For years, I've been looked upon by others as a monster," he continued. "For years, I've been tormented by this body that is not of my own, but one that was made by Rezo. Do you know what it's like to look into a mirror or a pool of water and not see your face? Every time I see it, I grow sick." Not a word was spoken from the others. "And on top of that," added Zelgadis, "it's all my fault. Rezo offered me power and I greedily accepted it. But I never wanted this. For me, a cure is worth more than riches."   
Everyone was silent for a moment, then they all began to eat, except for Amelia. It figures, thought Zelgadis, they care more about they're stomachs than anything else. He glanced over at Amelia and noticed that she was looking at him with tear filled eyes. Poor Mister Zelgadis, she thought. I never knew he felt like that. The main doors to the dining room flung open and in walked Xellos. No one paid any attention. Xellos walked over to the section of the table were our would-be heroes were eating.   
"Lord Beastmaster will see you now," he said. Everyone grew afraid. They didn't want to make one of the most powerful monsters ever wait. Immediately, the stopped eating, and stood up…except for Gourry, who was still eating and paying no attention. "Gourry!" shouted Lina. Gourry stopped eating and stood up. "This way, my friends," said Xellos, leading the way to Lord Beastmaster.   
There seemed to be an endless amount of turning left, and turning right while they were being led through the hallway by Xellos. They walked for about fifteen minutes until they came upon a door that didn't look as fancy as all of the others and seemed to be covered with dust. Xellos walked up to it and placed his hand upon it. "Is that the door to where Lord Beastmaster is?" asked Lina. Xellos paid no notice and continued to move his hand across the door. Dust was falling to as his hand moved upon the surface of the door. "Are you listening to me?" shouted Lina. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lina," said Xellos. "It's just been a while since I had to use a door to see Lord Beastmaster. There is supposed to be some kind of switch hidden somewhere on the door." Xellos moved his hand across the door even slower. "Forget it," said Xellos. He pulled his hand back, made a fist, and knocked the door down. A large cloud of dust flew up from the door as if it hadn't been used in a thousand years. Lina and the others covered their eyes and mouths. "You may now enter," said Xellos. Everyone walked slowly through the dust cloud and into a dark room.   
Lina and the others coughed as they made it through the dust cloud. "Dammit," said Lina, "why does that dust have to be so thick." She coughed even harder. They uncovered their eyes only to see blackness. The blackness was so dense that not even the light from the doorway was able to pierce it. "Naga," said Lina, "what can you see anything?" "No," replied Naga. "I can't even see my hands and they're right in front of my face." A soft laugh echoed through the room. "W-Who's there!?" shouted Alexandria. "I don't think I like the sound of that laugh," said Amelia. The laugh ceased, and was replaced by a voice. "Welcome, Lina Inverse," said the voice. A bright light appeared in the middle of the room and inside the light was a woman that was lying on an oddly shaped sofa. She had red hair, and was wearing a silk dress colored magenta. She had a golden bracer on her left arm that coiled around it. Her dress had only one strap, which was on the right shoulder, and there was a shoulder pad on that shoulder with gold on the edges. Her eyes were a deep red. And her ears resembled those of an elf.   
"You must be Lord Beastmaster," said Lina. The lady smiled. "Indeed I am," she said, "but you don't need to address me by that title, nor do any of your friends." "Then what should we address you as?" asked Lina. "You may address me by my name," replied Lord Beastmaster, "Zelas. Zelas Metallium." "Okay, Zelas," said Lina, "let's get down to business. How can you assist us in finding the Galleon of Gold?" "Ah, yes," said Zelas, "my assistance is what I had intended to offer, and offer it I shall." Everyone was waiting to hear how Lord Beastmaster was going to help. Zelas looked upon the humans, one by one. "As you may already know," continued Zelas, "the Galleon of Gold is a ship that was cursed to wander the oceans forever by Deep-Sea Dolphin. Whatever is on that ship must be extremely important because Dolphin has allied with Dynast Grausherra to keep you from reaching it." "That really isn't much help, Zelas," said Lina, "because we already know about Dynast. So just cut the chase, will ya? And drop the act. Real booze swindling, smokers don't sound that way." Zelas let out a deep sigh. "What a relief," she said. "It was getting hard to keep on talking like that. Anyway, I want you to find whatever is SOOO precious on that little tugboat and bring it to me. To help you do this, I will open a dimensional fold that will zap you straight to the galleon. If you return with what I seek, I will have my servants gather the gold on the ship and bring it here were you can split it amongst yourselves."   
"Really?" asked a very, VERY happy Lina Inverse. "Yup," replied Zelas. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "I'm getting kinda thirsty," she said. "Xellos, fetch me a bottle of rum." "Yes, Lord Beastmaster," answered Xellos. "Enough with 'Lord Beastmaster' already. You're off duty today," said Zelas. "Yes, mother," said Xellos as he walked over to a corner of the room and grabbed a bottle of rum. "Wait a minute," said Lina, "you're Xellos's mother?" "Yeah," replied Zelas. "Is that so hard to believe?" "Uh..no," said Lina, "not at all."   
Xellos walked up to Zelas and handed her the bottle. "Here's your rum," he said. Zelas grabbed the bottle. "Thank you, Xellie," said Zelas. Zelas reached out and pinched Xellos's cheek. "Oooh, you're soo cute," said Zelas. Xellos's face grew red. "Mother," he said, "not in front of the guys." Zelas let go of Xellos's face and uncorked the bottle of rum. She turned her attention back to her human guests. "I will allow you rest before I have you set out on this task," said Zelas, "for tomorrow, you will be on board the Galleon of Gold." "Alright," shouted Lina, "that gold's as good as mine." "Hey, Lina," said Naga, "don't count me out. I still get part of it." 


	21. A Monster is Reborn

Chapter twenty-one: A monster is reborn.  
  
All was well in the small kingdom of Andrast: kids were playing in the streets; housewives were shopping for groceries at the local market; and men went off to work. Life was just perfect, until he came. Laughter was replaced with screams; happiness became fear. Houses were set a flame in an instant. And in those flames lurked a creature of pure demonic power. One by one, villagers fell victim to this monster's blade. Those who tried to run were struck down by his swift arrows. His eyes were red with anger, just as his soul. He wanted revenge.  
  
Pippin was fleeing away with the crowd to seek shelter in the castle. "Run!" cried a villager, "a demon has come." Arrows flew through the air, hitting many villagers in the back; one barely grazed Pippin's left ear. "We must hurry to the castle," he cried, "for we are defenseless out here." "What good can the castle do when we're up against this monster?" shouted a villager. "The castle has a blessing from Lord Cyphied himself," yelled Pippin, "no monster can come near anything blessed by Cyphied." More arrows flew through the air, killing several villagers in front of Pippin. Following the arrows was a ball of flame that soared over their heads. The heat from it was so immense that it burned most of the hair on Pippin's head.   
The ball of fire landed in front of the crowd of fleeing villagers and erupted into a great dragon made entirely of flames. The villagers who were heading for the castle, including Pippin, fled in the opposite direction. The dragon let out a loud roar that shattered the windows of every building in town, then spat a fireball at the helpless villagers. More than half of the people were burned to a crisp. Their flesh turning to ash, and their eyes bubbling and popping right in their sockets. Pippin witnessed it all. He couldn't move, for he was frozen with fear. The surviving villagers left him behind, all of them too worried about themselves to pay any notice to an old fool like Pippin.   
The dragon approached Pippin slowly. Its eye's fixed on him and nothing else. As the dragon got closer, it grew smaller and smaller. The flames were vanishing and from those flames emerged a figure that Pippin had seen not too long ago. "Christopher…" he said finally. Chris didn't answer, he increased his stride, grabbed Pippin by the collar of his shirt and held him against the wall of a nearby building. "P..Please!" cried Pippin, "what did I ever do to you." "What did you do to me?" said Chris in an angry tone. "You ruined my life! That's what you did you me!"   
Chris threw Pippin on the ground and pulled out his bow and one arrow. "If you hadn't showed up with that stupid map, then Alex would still be with me," he said as he placed the arrow on the bow. Pippin was shaking from head to toe. "If you hadn't showed up with your stupid map, my life would still have meaning," continued Chris as he pulled back the string on his bow with the arrow held firmly between the middle and ring finger of his right hand. "I…" said Pippin in a shaky voice. "I'm sorry." Chris took aim. "I don't care," he said, and let go of the arrow. It soon found a resting place right between Pippins eyes.   
Amidst the screams and the agony of the town, Chris stood there, surrounded by flames. He clenched his fist. "I don't care," he said. "DO YOU HEAR ME WORLD!? I DON'T CARE!!!" Within a second, the entire town was engulfed in a huge explosion that erased it from existence forever.   
  
"I don't care…" 


	22. The Strangest Dream Ever

Chapter twenty-two: The strangest dream ever.   
  
I have climbed the peaks of hell; mountains built from the souls of sin. I have bathed in the fires of hell; flames fueled by souls consumed with hatred. I have danced with demons, their lips sweet with promises of power. I am one of them, given myself to their devices, to their lord, Shabranigdo.   
But, in all my travels through the pits of hell, never did I find such evil, such depravity as I found upon the mortal soil. THE FOREST-IMPS!!!  
  
SMASH!!!!  
NOOOOOO!!!! You lousy kids broke my front window! I'm not gonna pay for that! I want names! HEY! Stop running! My high-heels weren't designed for running, I can't keep up…My window is broken…BROKEN!!! Like so many childhood dreams upon the crags of despair… THE HORROR!!!  
  
Deep-sea Dolphin sprang up from bed, sweat covering her body. "It was just a dream," she said, wiping the sweat from her face with her sheets. Dolphin let out a deep sigh and was about to go back to sleep when a loud noise echoed through the hallways.  
"KEEEWWWWIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
"Forest-imps…" said Dolphin, fearing for her life. All was silent after a while. Dolphin didn't go to sleep that night, she just sat in bed and stared into the darkness. 


	23. First Thing in the Morning

Chapter twenty-three: First thing in the morning  
  
Lina sat up from bed stretched her arms out in front of her. She sat there for a while and then suddenly remembered something. "Today's the day I become filthy rich," said Lina full of delight. She sprang out of bed, grabbed her toothbrush and a towel and left the room. Now, she thought, which way was the bath?   
Lina walked down the hallway, opening up several doors as she went by. For several minutes she opened doors, but to no avail. Where is that damn bath? she thought. "Having trouble, Lina," said a voice from behind. Lina turned around and found Xellos. "Xellos," she said, "I'm having a bit of trouble finding the bath. Could you point me in the right direction?" Xellos smiled and pointed at a huge door at the end of the hallway. Lina looked at the door and nearly collapsed. On the door, in big bold letters, were the word "GIRL'S BATH."  
  
Inside the "hidden" bathroom, Amelia and Naga were getting ready to soak in the bath. "Our adventure is coming to an end," said Amelia. "I guess so," said Naga. Amelia began to scrub her arms. "Um…Gracia," said Amelia, "where will you go after this whole thing is over?" Naga sat there and thought about it for a while. "Y'know," she said, "I'm not quite sure. I'll probably go back to Sandoria. I've had my eye on this small place right by the beach. Why do you ask?" "Well," said Amelia, "I was hoping that you might want to come back to Seyruun with me." "Forget it, kid," replied Naga, "I'm never going back." "I see," said Amelia who began to scrub even slower.   
The doors to the washroom opened and in walked Lina. Lina avoided eye contact because she was too busy thinking about the mountains of gold she'd have at the end of the day. She took off her pajamas and washed up quickly so she could get into the bath. Not a word was spoken by her, or the two sisters who were already washed up and in the steaming hot bath.  
Amelia and Naga soaked for a while before they spoke again. "A-Are you sure you won't even come to Seyruun," asked Amelia, "even for a visit?" "The answer is no, kiddo," replied Naga. "Seyruun is were all my troubles started and I don't want to set a foot anywhere near it. Now, could you please drop it?" Amelia sad nothing and lowered her body into the water until it was almost touching her lips.   
  
In the other bath, Gourry and Zelgadis were relaxing and enjoying some complementary tea that was served to them by chambermaids who helped wash them before they got into the bath. "Boy, this place sure is nice," said Gourry. "If our bath is this nice I wonder what the girl's bath it like." "It must be ten times as fancy as this," said Zelgadis as he sipped his tea.  
  
Lina stepped into the bath and sat down, letting her body soak in the clean, warm waters. "Y'know," she said, "for a dark lord, Zelas has a very poorly made women's bath. We get no complementary drinks, not attendants, we have to do everything ourselves." "I agree," said Naga. "I've seen better baths in my days. Just image what the men's bath is like. Probably dirty and smelly with rats and cockroaches." "Yuck!" yelled Amelia, "don't talk like that." "She's right, Naga," said Lina. "What we should be talking about is gold. The first thing I'll do with my share is buy a ticket to the outer world. Last time, I didn't get to enjoy myself as much as had hoped."   
The doors opened and in walked Alexandria wearing a ridiculously oversized T-shirt. "Good morning," she said with a smile on her face as she removed her clothes and began to wash up. "You certainly seem happy," said Lina. "We're going to be rich," said Alexandria, "why wouldn't I be happy?" "Good point," said Lina, and got back to soaking. Alexandria splashed a bucket of water on herself and then began to clean her body. As she scrubbed her legs, an image of fire and destruction appeared in her mind and vanished. She remained motionless for a while, then continued to clean herself.   
  
Deep in the halls of Lord Beastmaster's lair, Xellos and Zelas were having a conversation that worried them both deeply. "Are you sure of this?" asked Xellos. "You may be mistaken." "I'm not mistaken," replied Zelas as she sipped a bottle of saké. "When a monster and a human fall in love, their souls form a bond that cannot be broken." "But you do not know if they have really fallen in love," urged Xellos. "They have," said Zelas, "I can feel it. Alexandria has already become aware of the event that happened in Andrast last night, although she doesn't know what to make of it. Pretty soon, her visions will be more frequent to the point where she'll know exactly were Chris is and what he's doing. And if that happens, Chris will be able to find her no matter where she is." "Can't you put a spell on her?" asked Xellos. "No," answered Zelas, "their love is too strong. There is no power that I, nor even the Lord of Nightmares possess, that can challenge true love." Lord Beastmaster sighed. "I guess we'll have to think of a way to use this to our advantage," said Xellos. "I guess so," agreed Zelas. 


End file.
